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UNESCO report has revealed that millions of learners across East Africa are failing to complete secondary education despite significant gains in school enrolment and literacy.
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The report shows that completion rates remain alarmingly low, with many learners dropping out before finishing secondary school despite remarkable progress made in expanding access to education through free and subsidised learning programmes.
Millions of learners across East Africa are failing to complete secondary education despite significant gains in school enrolment and literacy, a new UNESCO report has revealed, raising concerns over the region’s ability to produce the skilled workforce needed for economic transformation.
According to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), the Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report (February 2026) and World Bank education data, East African countries have made remarkable progress in expanding access to education through free and subsidised learning programmes.
However, the report shows that completion rates remain alarmingly low, with many learners dropping out before finishing secondary school.
Kenya records the highest upper secondary school completion rate in the region at about 31 per cent. Rwanda follows at approximately 21 per cent, Uganda at 20 per cent, while Tanzania records only about 15 per cent.
The findings indicate that even in the region’s best-performing country, more than two-thirds of learners who begin secondary education do not complete it, creating a major gap between school enrolment and graduation.
UNESCO notes that while adult literacy rates have improved significantly—with Kenya leading at about 81.5 per cent, followed by Uganda and Rwanda at 79 per cent each and Tanzania at 77.9 per cent—the transition from basic education to secondary completion remains one of East Africa’s greatest education challenges.
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Education experts warn that the low completion rates threaten the region’s long-term development since universities depend on secondary school graduates for admission. A shrinking pool of graduates means fewer teachers, doctors, engineers, scientists, ICT specialists, researchers and other professionals required to drive industrialisation and economic growth.
The report attributes the high dropout rates to a combination of economic, social and institutional challenges.
Poverty remains the leading cause, with many families unable to meet the cost of uniforms, transport, boarding, meals, examination fees and learning materials despite government subsidies.
Long distances to schools, particularly in rural and marginalised areas, also contribute to absenteeism and eventual dropout.
Social challenges such as early marriages, teenage pregnancies, child labour, substance abuse and family instability continue to interrupt the education of thousands of learners annually, with girls disproportionately affected.
Within schools, inadequate infrastructure, teacher shortages, overcrowded classrooms, limited ICT facilities, poorly equipped science laboratories and insufficient guidance and counselling services further undermine learner retention and academic success.
Despite these challenges, the report recognises Kenya’s relatively stronger performance, attributing it to sustained investment in free primary education, expansion of secondary schools, increased teacher recruitment, curriculum reforms and policies aimed at improving learner transition and retention.
Rwanda was also commended for its strong political commitment to education and effective governance, while Uganda and Tanzania were recognised for expanding access through universal and free basic education programmes.
To improve completion rates, UNESCO recommends increased investment in secondary education, particularly through the construction of more day secondary schools in underserved areas.
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The report also calls for expanded bursary and scholarship programmes, school feeding initiatives, transport support and provision of learning materials to reduce financial barriers that force learners out of school.
Other recommendations include recruiting more qualified teachers, strengthening guidance and counselling services, enhancing digital learning infrastructure and promoting practical, skills-based education to make learning more relevant to employment opportunities.
Parents, communities, religious organisations and civil society groups are also urged to play a greater role in keeping children in school by addressing early marriages, child labour, substance abuse and other social challenges that contribute to school dropout.
The report concludes that improving secondary school completion is not only an education priority but also a strategic investment in East Africa’s future, arguing that transforming enrolment into graduation will be critical in producing the skilled workforce needed to achieve sustainable economic growth and global competitiveness.
By Hillary Muhalya
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