- The Impact of Health Intervention Programs on Education: Evidence from the Malaria Eradication Program in Tanzania
- Double-Shift Schooling System and Learning Outcomes: A Non-Parametric Bounds Analysis
- School-entry socio-emotional skills and early grade literacy and mathematics achievement: Evidence from South Africa
- Linguistic Similarity and Early Literacy Skills: Evidence from Cameroon
Africa Fellows in Education Program
PEP, in partnership with the Global Education Analytics Institute (GEAI), is hosting the Africa Fellows in Education Program (AFEP), a two-year initiative to address the local capacity gap and enhance education decision-making processes across Sub-Saharan Africa. The program will support a network of Africa-based fellows, equipping them with advanced skills in evaluating educational research, developing performance data, and engaging local stakeholder to integrate evidence into decision-making.
By cultivating a network of local researchers across the continent, this program, which emphasizes the importance of context-specific evidence in decision-making, aims to facilitate policy improvements. The fellows will not only identify and produce high-quality research for education decision-making, but also engage in active outreach to policymakers and civil society actors, advocating for analytically sound local policies.
This program will foster a network of Africa-based leaders, building their capacity for developing evidence and shaping educational policies relevant to their countries. The leaders will join a global network of experts and help cultivate strong advocates for improving schools on the local level.
The GEAI and the Africa Fellows in Education Program (AFEP) is supported by funding from the Yidan Prize.
Addressing educational challenges across Sub-Saharan Africa
A skilled population is essential for long-term economic development, yet many developing countries, particularly in Africa, grapple with the low quality education. Many students complete primary school without acquiring functional literacy and numeracy skills, indicating a struggling educational system. To tackle this, transparent and useful data from student assessments is a critical first step in improving school performance. However, factors like costs and capacity constraints often result in a lack of national testing and participation in regional or international assessments.
While some of these challenges are being addressed by regional and international organizations, there's still a significant gap in local capacity to effectively use student outcome data to improve policies and education systems. With an emphasis on policy impact, this program aims to contribute to the sustainable development of evidence-informed research to improve schools.
2023-24 Fellows
The following four fellows were selected to participate in the AFEP 2023/2024 cycle. We extend our congratulations to the inaugural cohort of Africa Fellows, and we look forward to collaborating with this talented group and contributing to the advancement of their research.
- Heleen Hofmeyr (South Africa)
- Jaah Mkupete (Tanzania)
- Amadou Jallow (Gambia)
- Yselle Flora Malah Kuete (Cameroon)
2024-25 Fellows
Building upon the success of the first round of the fellowship, PEP and GEAI increased the program scope to support ten fellows from eight countries for the second (2024-25) cohort:
- Michel Armel Ndayikeza (Burundi)
- Manuella Ndjakwa (Cameroon)
- Thelma Obiakor (Nigeria)
- Nneka Esther Osadolor (Nigeria)
- Zamangwe Zanele Zwane (South Africa)
- Christina Thomas Fille (Tanzania)
- Etayibtalnam Koudjom (Togo)
- Regean Mugume (Uganda)
- Innocent Akampurira (Uganda)
- Paul Kakupa (Zambia)
PEP congratulates this second cohort on their selection. We look forward to collaborating with the fellows to enhance their research expertise as they drive meaningful change within their communities.
2025-26 Fellows
Building upon the success of the first two rounds of the fellowship, PEP and GEAI increased the program scope to support ten fellows from ten countries for the third (2025-26) cohort:
- Tayla Stephen (South Africa)
- Takudzwa Mutize (Zimbabwe/South Africa)
- Sié Mohamed Barro (Burkina Faso)
- Pabatso Matsoso (Lesotho)
- Attolou Sedami Nadege Marsove (Benin)
- Mamotjoka Joyce Morai (Lesotho)
- Mamadou Mouminy Bah (Côte d’Ivoire)
- Madleen Madina Frazer (Sierra Leone)
- Hamitande Dout (Togo)
- Carl Mensah (Ghana)
PEP congratulates this third cohort on their selection. We look forward to collaborating with the fellows to enhance their research expertise as they drive meaningful change within their communities.
Findings and Publications
Working Papers
Policy Briefs
- Student learning outcomes improve when the language of instruction is phonetically similar to their mother tongue
- Malaria Eradication Boosts Learning Outcomes in Tanzania
- Do pre-school socio-emotional skills predict literacy and mathematics skills in early grades?
- Does the Double-Shift Schooling System affect Learning outcomes? Evidence from The Gambia
Findings
- Cameroon: Learning outcomes improve when instruction aligns phonetically with children’s mother tongue
- The Gambia: How double-shift schooling systems affect learning outcomes
- Tanzania: Malaria eradication leads to measurable gains in student learning
- South Africa: Socio-emotional skills at school entry significantly boost early learning outcomes
