Japan and UNICEF Partner to Educate 4.5M Kids in Madagascar

Nearly 4.5 million children in Madagascar are getting a shot at better education thanks to a powerful new partnership between UNICEF and Japan's international aid agency.

The three-year agreement signed in early March aims to tackle a serious learning crisis. Right now, only 23% of Malagasy children aged 7 to 14 can read well enough for their age, and just 7% have basic math skills.

The partnership between UNICEF and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will support almost 108,000 teachers across all 23 regions of Madagascar. It builds on a previous successful collaboration that ran from 2020 to 2023, which improved catch-up classes for struggling students.

One major challenge is the shortage of trained teachers. Only about one in four primary school teachers has a teaching degree, making it harder for kids to get quality instruction.

The program will train teachers in proven methods like Teaching at the Right Level, an approach that meets students where they are academically rather than pushing them through material they're not ready for. It will also work to keep kids in school and bring back those who dropped out.

The Ripple Effect

This partnership addresses more than just reading and math. Nearly 3,700 classrooms were destroyed by cyclones over the past three years, with another 3,750 damaged. The collaboration will help rebuild and strengthen schools to withstand future disasters.

School dropout rates remain painfully high at 22% for primary students and 20% for middle schoolers. By focusing on keeping children enrolled and engaged, the program could break cycles of poverty that affect entire families and communities.

The initiative will also empower local school management committees, giving parents and community members a stronger voice in their children's education. When communities take ownership of schools, attendance improves and learning outcomes rise.

Christine Jaulmes, UNICEF's representative in Madagascar, called it "a strategic commitment to sustainable, high-quality change in education" that will positively impact communities, children, and families across the island nation.

Kaori Tanaka, JICA's resident representative, emphasized that the partnership will spread successful results from their previous TAFITA project throughout Madagascar, contributing to education for all Malagasy children.

Every child deserves the chance to read, calculate, and dream about their future.