Postgraduate Study in the UK

Black students in the UK continue to face significant barriers to postgraduate education despite growing participation in higher education overall. Black people make up only around 4% of the UK population, yet remain underrepresented in postgraduate research and elite academic pathways, particularly at leading universities. At the University of Oxford, for example, Black British students accounted for just 1.5% of postgraduate students in 2020.

[Source: Oxford University to offer postgraduate scholarships for black British students | University of Oxford | The Guardian)

Financial inequality is a major factor: postgraduate study, much like undergraduate study in the UK, is expensive and often depends on personal or family wealth. Research from the Institute for Fiscal Studies shows students from more advantaged backgrounds are far more likely to progress to postgraduate study [Source: Family background and access to postgraduate degrees | Institute for Fiscal Studies]. National data also shows Black students are especially underrepresented in funded PhD programmes, receiving only 1% of UKRI-funded doctoral studentships between 2017 and 2022. Targeted scholarships therefore play a critical role in widening access, improving representation in leadership and academia, and addressing long-standing structural inequalities in higher education

[Source: Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Postgraduate Study 2022/23 | UKCGE]

Higher Education in Germany

In Germany, students with migrant backgrounds remain underrepresented in higher education compared with the general population. Students from migrant and refugee backgrounds are more likely to come from lower-income and non-academic households, creating additional barriers to accessing and completing higher education. Since 2016, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) has supported over 40,000 refugees in accessing higher education. In comparison, Germany has around 3 million university students in total, meaning refugees supported through these programmes represent roughly 1% of the student population. Such disparities show why scholarship programmes remain important tools for improving educational equity and social mobility in Germany.

[Sources: German Academic Exchange Service - DAAD, Homepage – Federal Statistical Office, DZHW news | DZHW, Figures and Studies | Integration Media Service]

Africa’s Growing Youth Population and Education

Africa is home to the youngest and fastest-growing population in the world. According to UNESCO, by 2050, the continent will account for around 40% of the world’s children and young people, representing an unprecedented concentration of human potential. However, educational outcomes vary widely across the continent. While many countries have made major progress in improving literacy and school enrolment, others, particularly in low-income or conflict-affected regions, still face significant challenges in achieving universal access to quality education.

Literacy Snapshot

According to UNESCO, about 739 million adults and young people worldwide still lack basic literacy and numeracy skills, with nearly half living in Southern Asia and more than a quarter in sub-Saharan Africa. By contrast, only around 2% - roughly 15 million people - live in Europe and North America combined, where adult literacy rates are typically 98 - 99%.

This stark imbalance shows that basic illiteracy is overwhelmingly concentrated outside high-income Western countries, highlighting deep global disparities in access to education and underscoring the urgent need for investment in foundational learning in the Global South.

Source: UNESCO Global Alliance for Literacy

Early Childcare Development in Africa

According to UNICEF, only about one in four young children in sub-Saharan Africa attends early childhood education or preschool programmes, making it the region with the lowest participation globally. This is significantly below global averages, where roughly 40% of children attend pre-primary education. Access is especially limited in rural areas and low-income households, where formal childcare and preschool services are often unavailable or unaffordable.

ECD systems in many African countries are also underfunded and fragmented, with provision often delivered by private or community-run centres rather than publicly funded systems. As a result, quality varies widely, and many children enter primary school without foundational skills in language, numeracy, or social development. UNICEF research also shows that investment in early childhood education is one of the most effective ways to reduce inequality, as children from disadvantaged backgrounds benefit the most when they have access to structured early learning.

[Sources:
https://data.unicef.org/topic/early-childhood-development/early-childhood-education
Tracking early childhood development | UNICEFhttps://www.unicef.org/innocenti/reports/invest-harnessing-latent-potential-african-education-systems]

Primary Education in Africa

Primary education in Africa has expanded dramatically over the past two decades, largely driven by policies such as free primary education, international development support, and population growth in school-age children. According to UNICEF, primary school enrolment in sub-Saharan Africa has increased substantially since the early 2000s, with many countries now achieving net enrolment rates above 80%, and several (such as Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, and Tanzania) reaching near-universal access. This represents one of the most significant global education expansions in recent history.

However, access does not always translate into completion. Data from the World Bank shows that primary completion rates in sub-Saharan Africa average roughly 60-70%, meaning a significant proportion of children who enter school do not finish the full primary cycle. Dropout is strongly linked to household poverty, child labour, distance to schools, and gender inequality, with girls in some regions facing additional barriers such as FGM, teenage pregnancy, early marriage and domestic responsibilities.

Beyond enrolment and completion, learning outcomes remain a critical challenge. UNESCO and the World Bank highlight that many children in sub-Saharan Africa leave primary school without mastering basic literacy and numeracy skills. The World Bank describes this as a ‘learning crisis,’ noting that in some countries over half of children cannot read a simple text by age 10, even after several years of schooling.

Secondary Education in Africa

Access to secondary education remains a critical challenge. UNESCO data indicate that the gross enrolment ratio (GER) for lower secondary education in sub-Saharan Africa is around 58%, and for upper secondary education only 43%, far below the global average of 76%. Gender disparities persist, with girls less likely than boys to complete secondary school, especially in rural areas. Quality issues such as high pupil-teacher ratios, inadequate infrastructure, and limited learning materials further contribute to high dropout rates. In high-income OECD countries, roughly 80% or more achieve secondary education, providing a strong foundation for further learning and employment opportunities (see OECD, Education at a Glance 2023).

Improving secondary education in Africa is crucial because it bridges foundational literacy and higher education or vocational training, enabling young people to access higher-level skills, jobs, and leadership opportunities.

Higher Education Access

Without basic literacy and secondary completion, higher education becomes largely inaccessible. Across much of Africa, fewer than one in four young people are enrolled in tertiary education, with participation in some countries below 10%, sharply limiting opportunities for talent development, leadership pathways, and societal contribution. By contrast, tertiary enrolment in high-income OECD countries averages 75 - 77%, with around 40% of adults holding a tertiary qualification. This demonstrates the strong pipeline from secondary into higher education in the Global North, highlighting the disparities that Africa faces.

Even Africa’s highest-performing systems remain below these benchmarks.

Higher Education Access (Selected African Countries)

Why Education Matters in Africa particularly

Africa’s demographic growth presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity, but without equitable access to education, it risks becoming a source of deepening inequality.

Investing in education in Africa means:

• Strengthening local communities and economies.
• Building skilled workforces and future leaders.
• Expanding opportunity where talent already exists.
• Reducing long-term pressures that drive forced and irregular migration by creating viable futures at home.

Education is one of the most effective ways to convert population growth into shared prosperity. When young people can learn, earn, and lead within their own communities, they are empowered to stay, contribute, and shape lasting change.

This is why Project Educate considers Africa a key area for investment in education, not only to open doors for individuals, but to help build stronger, more stable societies for generations to come.

A Truly Global Mission

While Africa remains a key focus for Project Educate, we recognize that creating educational opportunities is a truly global mission. Even high-income countries face challenges, as the higher education statistics for the UK and Germany show: poverty, discrimination, social exclusion, and barriers to learning persist for underrepresented and vulnerable groups such as black people, refugees, migrants, and people with disabilities.

Our commitment is global. We aim to create educational opportunities worldwide because the mission is not only to unlock human potential where it is most concentrated, but also to ensure no one is left behind anywhere.