Conceptualizing Access to Education in sub-Saharan Africa: Critical Issues to Consider

Access to education is an inescapable pathway to a country’s development. Education is not only a right, but it enlightens and empowers citizens with knowledge and skills, and provides a critical mass of human capital and manpower which are pre-requisites for a country’s take-off to development. The UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the Dakar Education for All (EFA) framework are leading advocates of education access for all children worldwide. Although most countries in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) have heeded to their call and sub-stantially raised school enrolments, many school going children are still left out of schools in millions. The im-pact of this to national development of countries in SSA is slow and even retarded development and in fact non competitiveness in the global economy. Uganda, one of the SSA countries has leveraged on Universal Primary Education and expanded significantly school enrolments from primary through secondary and tertiary levels. If handled discreetly and appropriately, this move will augur well for her manpower development and the national development agenda. This paper analyzes the ramifications and implications of access to education in sub-Saharan Africa and makes a brief comparison with access in the American education system. Education remains a significant player and determinant of development which African countries need to handle with the right policies and adequate investment. Keywords: Africa, Education Access, National Development, Uganda