Bridges, classrooms, and voices: New stories of education across Africa

ECNU Review of Education | Special Issue: Education Beyond Borders: China and Africa

Across Africa, education reform is shaped as much by global partnerships as by classroom realities. Drawing on studies of China–Africa cooperation, teacher development, university collaboration, and student leadership, this feature explores how policy ambitions are translated into practice. Together, these perspectives frame education as a human process, where confidence, voice, and locally rooted institutions determine whether international initiatives deliver lasting, equitable change across diverse African contexts.

From big diplomatic pledges to what happens when a teacher tries a new lesson—five ROE studies remind us that education’s promise in Africa depends on large plans and the people who carry them out.

A Promise on the World Stage 

Imagine a summit room where countries announce new cooperation plans with thousands of scholarships and training programs on the table.

Two pieces (King, 2019, 2025) in our collection follow this sweep: large-scale China–Africa initiatives have pushed vocational hubs, scholarship schemes, and university networks across the continent—a kind of infrastructure for people-to-people connection. These policies set the stage and create opportunity, but that’s only where the story starts.

Off the podium, the story grows more textured. Policy documents (King, 2025) promise Luban workshops, digital-education centers, and inter-university pacts. These are important: they supply training slots, equipment, and institutional ties. Yet the research asks a sensible, human question—who converts those slots into real skills and lasting change?

Teachers: The Hinge Between Plan and Practice

Here’s where the nitty-gritty lives.

One study (Agbo et al., 2025) surveyed pre-service and in-service teachers across Sub-Saharan Africa about integrating computational thinking into STEM lessons.

Here’s what really stands out: teachers’ perceived knowledge—whether they feel they know the subject—strongly predicts whether they try it in class. Interest and motivation help, but confidence and ongoing professional development matter the most. In short, workshops on paper won’t shift classrooms unless teachers are supported to use new tools.

Rethinking University Ties Under Disruption

Another contribution (Zhang & Wu, 2025) zooms out to higher education itself. Faced with pandemics, automation, and geopolitics—the “triple disruptions”—South–South collaborations are being reimagined. The call is for partnership models that are regionally rooted, mutually respectful, and protective of local knowledge, rather than copy-paste versions of Northern models.

This matters for sustainability: networks built on mutual benefit are more likely to weather shocks.

Student Voice and Gender: Whose Chance Is It, Anyway?

Finally, students bring the story home.

One study (Hassan & Wright, 2023) with young people in networked schools shows that students want to lead, but girls often face subtler barriers and stereotypes. If education diplomacy is to be inclusive, programs must listen to students and make space for meaningful leadership—not just token consultation. When students are truly heard, the skills and civic habits we hope to build actually take root.

Conclusion: What Matters Is the Follow-Through, Not the Fanfare

Taken together, these studies sketch a practical rule: big gestures create possibilities; regional, rights-minded university relations, and well-designed teacher development turn possibilities into practice; and student voice makes outcomes legitimate and durable.

The future of education in Africa, as these papers suggest, depends less on headlines and more on the bridges built every day—in workshops, staffrooms, and school councils.

References

Agbo, F. J., Sanusi, I. T., Ayanwale, M. A., Adelana, O. P., Aruleba, K. D., & Jatileni, C. N. (2025). Perception of Computational Thinking Education in Africa: Insight From Pre-Service and In-Service Teachers. ECNU Review of Education. https://doi.org/10.1177/20965311251358267

Hassan, K. S., & Wright, E. (2023). Gender and Leadership: Student Perspectives on Gender Stereotypes in Round Square Schools. ECNU Review of Education. https://doi.org/10.1177/20965311231210010

King, K. (2019). China–Africa Education Cooperation: From FOCAC to Belt and Road. ECNU Review of Education, 3(2), 221-234. https://doi.org/10.1177/2096531119889874

King, K. (2025). Forum on China–Africa Cooperation 9: The Massive Ambitions for Education and Cultural Cooperation Between China and Africa. ECNU Review of Education, 8(3), 663-675. https://doi.org/10.1177/20965311251322185

Zhang, J., & Wu, H. (2025). Reimagining South–South Higher Education Interactions Under “Triple Disruptions”. ECNU Review of Education, 8(3), 638-657. https://doi.org/10.1177/20965311251335986