Day of the African Child: Youth Activists Call for More Investment in Preschool Education to Stop Children in Africa Falling Behind

Day of the African Child: Youth Activists Calls for More Investment in Preschool Education to Stop Children in Africa Falling Behind

• 1000+ young African campaigners unite to call for more funding for Africa’s 200 million under-fives
• Only 2.3% of education budgets in Sub-Saharan Africa go to pre-primary education – far lower than the internationally agreed 10% target
• Early years Investment is “an economic booster, an equaliser, and a foundation for regional stability”

To mark the Day of the African Child on June 16, 1,500 Global Youth Ambassadors from the global children’s charity Theirworld have united to demand urgent support for Africa’s youngest learners.

Numerous studies have shown that pre-primary education is crucial to a child’s development and that children who miss out on early years learning fall behind others even before they start primary school.

But latest figures show that only 2.3% of education budgets in Sub-Saharan Africa is committed to pre-primary education.

The youth activists want African Union countries to commit to investing at least 10% of education budgets to preschool education by 2030, a target agreed by more than 140 countries in 2022.

In a letter to their respective ministers, GYAs from Nigeria, Kenya and Tanzania say that too many children across Africa are being denied their basic right to preschool education, widening the inequality gap between the rich and the poor.

“The foundations of a thriving, prosperous education begin in the early years. Children who have access to high-quality preschool education start primary school with strong foundational skills in literacy and math and have higher earning potential as they grow up,” the letter says.

“The evidence is clear. Investing in early years is more than a moral obligation; it’s an economic booster, an equaliser, and a foundation for regional stability. It’s about laying the groundwork for a fair, prosperous, and sustainable future.”

The letter has been coordinated by Theirworld as part of its Act For Early Years campaign, which is calling for a revolution in the care and education of children worldwide.

On the Day of the African Child, the global charity is mobilising its network of more than 1,500 Global Youth Ambassadors across the continent to call for greater investment in preschool education.

“I support the call to action by African youth to prioritise younger learners with high quality preschool education. The current lack of investment is leaving millions of children behind from the start, denied the chance to fulfil their potential.”

Justin van Fleet, President of Theirworld