Rising Food Prices and Their Implications for Education in Africa

Using cross sectional data of Sub-Saharan African countries from 2006-2009, this paper studies the relationship between food crisis, and child education outcomes. Although the study finds a significant and negative direct impact of food crisis on primary completion rates in the region, the same cannot be said for primary enrolment rate, and gender disparities. Even the highest food inflation countries have achieved a slowly progress in primary enrolment in the food crisis period. The results show that children enter schools, but parents may find it so costly to send them, and never complete the primary level. The paper also finds that other factors such as per capita income, student expenditure, and government expenditure can be helpful in explaining the child education outcomes in the region. At the same time, our findings are sobering: In sub-Saharan African countries, international educational goals are unlikely to be reached by 2015, and poor child education outcomes are frequently widespread, in the context of tight government budgets, there is an urgent increase in international financial support needed to help the region to attain quantum and quality of human capital.