Secondary Education Provision and Impacts of Low Secondary Uptake on Wider Societal Outcomes

Abstract

This report explores the current uptake and completion of secondary education globally, with a particular focus on sub-Saharan Africa. The report also explores the wider societal benefits of increased secondary completion rates, and the financial considerations that are needed to increase uptake and completion. Using data from UIS (2022) and UNESCO WIDE (2022), the report identified disparities in net enrolment, attendance and completion between primary and both levels of secondary education, particularly upper secondary. In sub-Saharan African countries, achievements in net enrolment at primary level are rarely met with high enrolment levels at either lower or upper secondary level, with this difference even more stark when observing completion rates. Currently, both lower and upper secondary education is not a funding priority amongst many countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Of the 27 countries included in analysis, only one country (Mauritius) spent a higher proportion on secondary education compared to other levels (UIS, 2022). Some countries were found to spend a higher proportion of GDP on tertiary education compared to other education levels, with over double the amount spent on tertiary compared to both lower and upper secondary education combined in some instances (Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, South Sudan) (UIS, 2022).