Global CS Education Grows as Africa Grapples With Infrastructure Gaps

Computer Science Education

Computer science education is expanding rapidly worldwide, with two-thirds of countries now offering or planning K-12 programs doubling since 2019 yet Africa faces significant implementation barriers due to infrastructure deficits, according to Stanford University’s 2025 AI Index report.

While Africa and Latin America show the strongest policy momentum for integrating digital skills into national curricula, progress across much of Africa remains hampered by unreliable electricity, limited internet access, and hardware shortages, particularly in rural schools.

“Access remains limited in many African countries due to basic infrastructure gaps like electricity,” the report notes, warning that students risk being excluded from practical computing and AI exposure despite policy advances.

The infrastructure gap threatens to widen global skills disparities as other regions accelerate digital education investments.

In the United States, 81% of computer science teachers acknowledge AI’s importance in foundational education, yet fewer than half feel equipped to teach it—highlighting a critical need for teacher training and curriculum modernization despite a 22% rise in computing graduates over the past decade.

This contrast underscores the report’s broader finding: while global consensus on CS and AI literacy’s importance has solidified, access remains starkly unequal.

Stanford’s analysis urges African governments to pair infrastructure investment with localized teacher development and curriculum design. Without coordinated national strategies prioritizing sustainable delivery alongside inclusion, the promise of digital education will remain inaccessible to millions of students, exacerbating economic and technological divides.

The report emphasizes that policy ambition alone cannot overcome foundational barriers, calling for targeted solutions to transform educational access into tangible learning outcomes.

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