Zurich – Eleven-year-old Mariam has already lost years of school. Conflict displaced her family, and when she finally enrolled in an Accelerated Education Program – a short, intensive course for children who had missed years – she was reading for the first time.
Yet her teacher fears what comes next: the nearest secondary school has no space, resources, or plan to receive students like her.
Mariam’s story, drawn from the experiences of many children in fragile contexts across Africa, illustrates a wider crisis.
A new Education.org report, launched today at an event co-hosted by UNICEF, warns that millions of out-of-school children across the region face the same trap: getting back into learning through non-formal programs, only to be shut out of school again.
During the launch event, Harun Yussuf, CEO of Kenya’s National Commission for Nomadic Education, acknowledged, “The reality is that progress in access has been uneven. And unless we act collectively, the dream of education for all will remain a dream”.
The Missing link: Transitioning from learning to schooling
The findings land as African leaders meet for the 80th UN General Assembly. Half of the 272 million children and youth out of school, globally, are living in sub-Saharan Africa, a share that has been growing (UNESCO, 2025).
UNESCO has reported that this may well be an underestimate due to recent emergencies and crises in Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Mali, Niger, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan.
Accelerated Education Programs (AEPs) are one of the fastest routes to education for children and youth, yet Education.org’s review of nearly 400 studies, 67% covering sub-Saharan Africa, shows that – globally – only half of learners’ transition from these programmes to school successfully – and in crisis contexts, just four in 10.
Despite this, Education.org reports that less than half of the 38 national and subnational education strategies reviewed in Africa mention AEPs (47%) while only five include strategies to support learners after they graduate from these programmes.
“This is a missing link in the fight for universal education,” said Dr. Randa Grob-Zakhary, Founder and CEO of Education.org.
“Without deliberate, cost-effective strategies to help children transition into schools and stay there, we are condemning millions to fall through the cracks a second time.”
Shrinking aid, growing risk
The challenge is compounded by shrinking aid. International education funding is projected to fall by more than a quarter by 2027 (UNESCO, 2025).
Education.org’s analysis finds that nearly six in ten Accelerated Education Programmes (AEPs) (58%) are at risk due to cuts.
Half of the at least four million learners in these programmes globally – a low estimate given weak tracking – risk losing access to education, while millions more may never get the chance to enroll.
Sarah Bugoosi Kibooli, Uganda’s Commissioner for Special Needs and Inclusive Education, said the guidance can help support the impact and sustainability of these proven programmes.
“Accelerated education programs cannot fulfil their promise without deliberate support for transitions – into schools, skills, or work opportunities,” she said.
Mind the gap: STEP Framework offers guidance on transitions into school
The new STEP Framework (Supporting Transitions Through Evidence-Based Planning) (https://apo-opa.co/4gs9GPw) from Education.org sets out five essentials: align accelerated programs with curricula and life skills; guarantee completion opens school doors; link AEPs with nearby schools; provide support at enrolment and beyond; and make schools flexible and inclusive enough to sustain learners.
All five steps, Education.org argues, must rest on a foundation of collaboration between schools, communities, and non-formal providers.
Evidence shows that when AEPs and schools are linked through shared governance structures, children are twice as likely to succeed.
The implications go beyond AEPs. Community schools, refugee centers, catch-up classes, and digital pilots face the same risk: without recognised pathways and support for transitions, older youth may drop out, while girls, young mothers, and children with disabilities are especially vulnerable.
“Accelerated education proves we already know how to teach literacy and numeracy quickly and well,” said Dr. Kilemi Mwiria, Education.org’s Africa representative.
“What we are failing to do is close the transition gap — and without that, millions of children who finally start learning again won’t get the chance to reach their full potential.”
