Many African countries are investing in education technology to improve learning outcomes and address teacher shortages. But do these investments deliver lasting benefits? Local PEP-supported researcher Michel Armel Ndayikeza examined the long-term effects of Côte d'Ivoire's Programme d'Éducation Télévisuelle (PETV), one of Africa's earliest large-scale education technology initiatives.
The study found that although the programme showed some early promise, it did not improve long-term educational attainment or labour market outcomes. Individuals exposed to PETV were around 10 percentage points less likely to attain lower secondary education, while no measurable effects were found on upper secondary education, tertiary education, or employment outcomes. The findings underscore the importance of generating rigorous local evidence before scaling education technology programmes and ensuring such investments complement broader efforts to strengthen education systems and teacher capacity.
Find out more about the research methods, findings, and policy recommendations in the following PEP publications:
Policy Brief 309 | Working Paper 2026-06 | Supported as part of the Africa Fellows in Education Program
