In our region of Africa, 40% of children are out of school, and among those who do remain enrolled through Grade 12, fewer than one in three demonstrate a solid understanding of their coursework. As a result, the majority of students enter the labour market with inadequate literacy and numeracy skills, limiting their opportunities to secure stable, well-paid employment and breaking cycles of poverty. In Zambia, the gross enrolment rate (which counts all students enrolled regardless of age) in secondary school was 59% in 2022, with an average of about 50% between 2018 and 2022. Completion rates remain low, with only 39% of students completing secondary school nationally in 2022 (average between 2018 and 2022: 35%). For Madagascar, the gross enrolment rate was 35% in 2021 in secondary school and completion rates dropped to 9%. While national statistics on completion rates in rural areas are not available, challenges such as a shortage of qualified teachers, inadequate infrastructure, limited reading materials, long distances to school, and broader socio-economic barriers mean that significantly fewer rural students attain a full secondary education.