Access versus Quality: Challenges of Educational Policies in African Countries

African countries are facing a serious and difficult challenge with regard to their education policies: Broaden access of education to everyone while maintaining or improving its quality. However, given the resource constraints, a tough choice had to be made, at least implicitly, between quality and access. Most countries have chosen to pursue access for two decades. Learning outcomes are currently very poor and policies toward improving learning are not succeeding. This policy brief analyses this situation and reflects on the way forward.