WASHINGTON, December 8, 2023 — The World Bank approved a 10-year program to support Angola’s tertiary education system. The first phase of the Tertiary Education, Science, and Technology project (TEST) will provide $150 million to enhance and expand Angola’s pre-service teacher training sector, improve the quality of programs in strategic priority areas, and strengthen governance within the education system.
Angola's education sector has been struggling with poor learning outcomes and ever-increasing shares of out-of-school youth. These challenges are further exacerbated by the country’s demographic pressures and persistently low levels of investment in education, resulting in a shortage of teachers and classrooms to absorb children at all levels. These conditions result in students that are insufficiently prepared for higher education.
TEST is a 10-year program that takes a multiphase programmatic approach (MPA) with three proposed phases, totaling $550 million. The program aims to increase the number of highly qualified graduates with labor market-aligned skills in strategic priority areas.
“This 10-year program aligns with the launch of our 10-year Livro Branco de Ensino Superior and marks a substantial multi-year investment in Angola’s higher education, particularly in the fields of science, technology, and innovation,” said Ndilu Mankenda Nkula, Head of the General Secretariat for the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation. “Through the implementation of this plan, we will strive to diversify the economy, help sectors better adapt to climate change, and train the next generation of teachers to elevate Angola’s education system to a state of excellence.”
TEST will help Angola make the most of its demographic advantage, securing the foundations for learning and repositioning the education sector to equip future generations with the skills to combat shocks and boost economic development.
“This first phase of investments will benefit more than 150,000 young Angolans, at least half of whom will be young women. Over the next ten years, the expansion and improvements in teacher training will ultimately reach 3.2 million Angolan students with better opportunities for learning,” said Natasha Andrade, World Bank Senior Economist for Angola. “In addition, upgrades in digital infrastructure and skills training will also help prepare the Angolan workforce for the economy of the future.”
