Policy Note: Recommended Investments in ICT for Resilient Education Systems in Africa

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the education sector leading to school closures for more than two years in some countries. This resulted in learning loss that impacted education outcomes, especially in Africa. Governments in Africa took immediate responsive actions to remedy the impact of school closures by introducing policy and program changes to education delivery, articulating multi-sectoral national response plans that included remote learning to ensure learning continuity. However, these measures fell short of effectively addressing the issues of quality, continuity, inclusivity, and equity in education. The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group supported ADEA to assess the status and capacities of 24 of their African member countries on the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in education and remote learning during crisis. The Mastercard Foundation supported a subsequent similar study in 10 additional countries.