A Tale of Two Schools: Public vs Private High Schools in Africa

When people think of high school education in Africa, what often comes to mind are images of crowded classrooms, scarce resources, and struggling schools. Yet the reality is far more complex and nuanced. Beneath the surface lies a striking contrast: from Nigeria to Kenya and Egypt to South Africa, student voices reveal how public–private divides in facilities, teaching, and exam preparation shape who gets to university—and who gets left out.

In Nigeria, Irene recalls that at her public high school “students mostly do chores like sweeping and farming, and might only have real lessons two or three times a week,” whereas wealthier peers in private schools enjoyed “good quality education [with] qualified teachers, and good facilities” (Irene 2025). Her experience echoes a common reality across Africa: two parallel secondary education systems—public and private—that offer vastly different opportunities. From Nigeria to Kenya, Egypt to South Africa, disparities in school infrastructure, curriculum, teacher quality, and exam preparation are creating unequal life chances for students. This feature draws on student voices and data to explore how the gap between public and private high schools affects educational equity and access to university.

Resources and Infrastructure

Education in many African countries is marked by a stark resource divide. Public schools, which serve the majority, are often overcrowded and underfunded, while private schools (accessible mainly to the affluent) boast smaller classes and better facilities. In South Africa, roughly 85% of learners attend public schools where class sizes commonly exceed 30–40 students per teacher, compared to a 15:1 ratio in elite private schools (Jagarnath 2024). Many public campuses struggle with basics: according to government data, over 20,000 South African public schools have no science laboratory, 18,000 lack a library, and 16,000 have no internet. More than 3,000 schools still rely on unsafe pit latrines instead of proper toilets (Amnesty International 2020). By contrast, well-funded private institutions have modern amenities—from computer labs to sports facilities—and can invest in extracurriculars.

A rural public school in South Africa where basic infrastructure is lacking. Many public schools have no libraries or adequate sanitation, underscoring the vast resource gap (Jagarnath 2024; Amnesty International 2020).

These inequalities in the learning environment are pervasive. “Most public schools lack even basic amenities, such as libraries and sanitation,” observes one South African educator, and this “stark difference between public and private schooling… is a key driver of… inequality” (Jagarnath 2024). In some extreme cases, public schools don’t just lack materials—they lack actual teaching. “Public schools are cheap, some are even free… But the quality is very low,” says Irene of Nigeria. “Students mostly do chores…and might only have real lessons two or three times a week” (Irene 2025). She notes that private schools, though expensive, offer far superior conditions. The physical state of a school—safe buildings, electricity, water, classrooms with manageable numbers—can profoundly affect students’ ability to learn. “The right to quality education includes having a school where learners are safe to learn and have adequate facilities… but our research has found this is not the reality for many,” Amnesty International reported, warning that government failure to fix school infrastructure “has consequences for the life chances of thousands of young people” (Amnesty International 2020).

Curriculum and Teaching

Not only do public and private schools differ in resources, they often deliver very different educational experiences. In Egypt, for example, public (“governmental”) high schools have become largely exam factories—many students barely attend class, relying on after-school tutoring to learn the material. “In governmental schools, students don’t usually go to school—they rely on private tutoring instead,” explains Manar, an educator from Egypt. “But in private or international schools, they must attend school, complete assignments, and participate in class” (Manar 2025). She notes that public-school seniors often spend their days in cram sessions for the national exam, while private school students follow a full curriculum with quizzes, projects, and teacher feedback throughout the year.

This pattern repeats elsewhere. Kenya’s high school system, influenced by the British model, places all students in a final exam-centric curriculum, but private schools often provide more support. “Everything leads up to that exam,” says Dorothy, a student from Kenya, referring to the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) that determines university placement. “Schools push students really hard to perform well,” she adds (Dorothy 2025). In theory, both public and private students face the same national exams in countries like Kenya, Lesotho, or Malawi—but in practice, preparation differs. Mpho from Lesotho experienced both a traditional public school and a government-run boarding school “run more like a private institution.”The latter was highly structured: “Very structured—almost like the military,” she says of her boarding school, with 5am wake-ups, strict study hours, and disciplined routines (Mpho 2025). That level of organization and academic focus was “quite different from what I was used to” in her earlier public day school (Mpho 2025). The implication is that private-style management (even within a public system) can create a more focused learning environment—something many regular public schools struggle to achieve.

Teacher quality and teaching style also diverge. Well-resourced private schools can attract and retain trained, motivated teachers; public schools in poorer areas often face teacher shortages, larger classes, and even absenteeism. A UNICEF study found that teacher absenteeism tends to be higher in public schools than in private ones across Africa, exacerbating instructional gaps (UNICEF 2021). Irene’s memories from Nigeria illustrate this: in her public high school, instructional time was so limited that her family hired a private tutor to supplement her learning (Irene 2025). In Ethiopia, where Weini attended an elite private high school in Addis Ababa, there was a culture of strict rules and high expectations—“phones can be confiscated for the entire year if caught” and punctuality was enforced (Weini 2025). Private school students like Weini often enjoy a broader array of subjects and activities (her school even held a prom and lavish graduation at a hotel). Meanwhile, many public school students must concentrate on core subjects under tight budgets; enrichment activities are a luxury. A World Bank-backed report projected that by 2021 one in four African students would be enrolled in private schools, reflecting both growing demand and government underinvestment in public education (McVeigh and Lyons 2017). Yet this trend brings concerns that a two-tier education system is being further entrenched, with poor families left in under-resourced schools. “Private schools have stepped in to plug the gap… but [this] may deepen inequalities,” warned the UNESCO Global Education Monitoring Report, noting that high fees exclude the poorest and weak regulation can undermine quality (UNESCO 2021).

Crowded classroom in a public secondary school. In countries like Egypt, many public high schoolers skip school for private tutoring, while private school students attend regular classes and continuous assessments (Manar 2025).

High-Stakes Exams and the University Access Gap

Across African countries, the transition from high school to university is a high-stakes hurdle—one that often magnifies the advantages of private schooling. Admission to public universities typically hinges on scoring well on national exams or standardized tests. When one group of students receives better preparation, the outcomes can be dramatically skewed. “Students from public schools find it very difficult to compete with students from private schools to access reputable institutions and universities,” observed a Moroccan high school student, noting that private school pupils usually attain higher exam marks (El Amraoui 2018). In Morocco, the share of students in private education quadrupled from 4% in 1999 to 15% in 2015 as families who can afford it seek better instruction (El Amraoui 2018). The result, experts say, is a widening gulf: “There is a big gap between the public and private schools in terms of quality… Parents know those [private] schools can earn their kids higher marks,” the student Anas told Al Jazeera. And since exam scores determine university entry, “privately-educated children usually attain better grades, [making] it very difficult for students from public schools to… access major universities” (El Amraoui 2018).

This pattern is borne out by data in countries like South Africa. Only 36% of matric (Grade 12) graduates from no-fee public schools achieved a bachelor’s pass (the level required for university) in recent years, compared to over 90% of students from top private schools (Jagarnath 2024). In other words, a poor student in a township public school has odds heavily stacked against them in the race for university spots. South African activist Vashna Jagarnath notes that many public school learners internalize a feeling that their “potential is capped simply because of the school they attend,” as they see near-perfect pass rates at elite schools while their own schools struggle (Jagarnath 2024). The vicious cycle is clear: lower-quality schooling leads to lower exam results, which then limit higher education and career prospects.

In Nigeria, where university aspiration is high, Irene estimates that “only about 12% of students go on to higher education”—not for lack of desire, but because “there just aren’t enough spaces in public universities, and private ones are very expensive.” Many less-privileged students, she says, “end up doing menial jobs instead” if they can’t make it to college (Irene 2025). Nigeria requires a combination of exams—the West African Senior School Certificate, the national JAMB university entrance test, and often an aptitude test—and passing all three is tough without good schooling and support (Irene 2025). In Malawi, the bottleneck is even tighter. “The focus is entirely on the national exam… It determines whether you can go to university,” explains Tresor, who attended secondary school in Malawi (Tresor 2025). Results take months to arrive, and admissions are brutally competitive: “Only a small percentage of students—less than 1%—are admitted into university each year due to capacity issues,” Tresor notes, highlighting that Malawi has one of the lowest tertiary enrollment rates in the world (Tresor 2025). Those who don’t make the cut often have no alternative pathway; many sit idle or attempt lower-paying vocations. “Some just stay home… those with means might apply abroad,” she says of Malawian students who finish high school without a local university place (Tresor 2025).

Even for students who do score well, public university systems can present further obstacles—another area where having money opens doors. In countries like Nigeria and South Africa, public universities are prone to disruptions (strikes, overcrowding), so wealthy families often send students to private or overseas universities. “Some students go to expensive private universities to avoid complications like strikes in public schools,” Irene told us, citing frequent faculty strikes that can extend a four-year degree to six years in Nigeria’s public institutions (Irene 2025). In contrast, private universities (for those who can afford tuition) don’t have these interruptions. The gap thus continues beyond high school: it’s not only about getting into university, but being able to complete a degree in a reasonable time and quality setting.

Unequal Schools, Unequal Futures

The divergence between a well-off private high school student and an underprivileged public school student in Africa doesn’t end at graduation—it defines the contours of their adult lives. Education is a key driver of social mobility, and when a large segment of youths receive an education so subpar that it barely equips them for higher learning or skilled jobs, inequality deepens. “South Africa has one of the most unequal school systems in the world. Children in the top 200 schools achieve more distinctions in math than children in the next 6,600 schools combined,” an analysis by Amnesty International noted, underscoring how concentrated educational success is in a few well-resourced schools (Amnesty International 2020). The organization’s report concluded bluntly that “a child’s experience of education still very much depends on where they are born and how wealthy they are” (Amnesty International 2020). This is not just a South African reality—it is a continental one. According to UNESCO, only about 9% of college-age youth in sub-Saharan Africa are enrolled in any form of tertiary education, compared to 40% globally (UNESCO 2022). The few who make it to university disproportionately come from better schools and better-off families.

Crucially, the education divide also carries a psychological toll. Students from underfunded schools often perceive, by comparison, that success is “not for people like them.” Precious, who attended a public high school in South Africa, described how stressful it was to be a senior aiming for university: “It was stressful… you want to get into university… you need to pass your exams,” she said, noting that the pressure was constant (Precious 2025). After final exams, results are published in newspapers by exam number—an impersonal reckoning where “if your number isn’t there, it means you failed” (Precious 2025). For those who pass, it’s a moment of triumph; for those who don’t, doors to advancement swing shut. Many African students know that their entire future can hinge on that exam, and they keenly feel the inequity of the preparation they received. “The dilemma is that… there is a big gap in quality… Private school kids can earn higher marks,” said Anas, the Moroccan student, “so it becomes very difficult for public school students to pursue a decent career” (El Amraoui 2018).

To close this gap, experts stress that improving public education is imperative. Expanding access alone is not enough—the quality of schooling must be lifted. UNESCO has called on governments to set and enforce minimum standards for all schools, public and private, noting that “parallel systems with different expectations, resources, and working conditions” only widen the gulf in learning outcomes (UNESCO 2022).The World Bank and other development partners have similarly urged heavy investment in public school infrastructure, teacher training, and accountability, to ensure that a child in a rural public school can achieve her potential just as well as a child in an elite academy (World Bank). Some countries offer hopeful examples: Rwanda eliminated secondary school fees and saw enrollment surge by 25% in one year, showing that political will can make a difference (Tran 2012). And Kenya’s push for free primary education in the 2000s markedly improved literacy rates, proving that when education is prioritized and funded, gaps can begin to close (Jagarnath 2024). Still, much remains to be done at the high school level.

The students who shared their stories—from Kenya, Nigeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Malawi, to South Africa—all show that talent is universal, but opportunity is not. Bridging the education divide will require tackling the inequalities in funding and quality between public and private schools. As one South African commentator put it, “unequal schools mean unequal futures” (Jagarnath 2024). If African countries are to fulfill the promise of their enormous youth populations, they must find a way to provide all students—not just the privileged few—a fair chance at a quality high school education and the doors it opens. The stakes are nothing less than the continent’s next generation of doctors, teachers, engineers, and leaders. As Irene in Nigeria passionately expressed, education is taken very seriously—young Africans dream big, and it is up to society to ensure that the school they attend does not determine how far those dreams can go.

Sources: Interviews with African students and educators; UNESCO, UNICEF, World Bank, and government education data; Amnesty International and media reports on African education.

Amnesty International. 2020. South Africa: Broken and Unequal Education Perpetuating Poverty and Inequality. London: Amnesty International. https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/02/south-africa-broken-and-unequal-education-perpetuating-poverty-and-inequality/.

El Amraoui, Ahmed. 2018. “How an Education Crisis Is Hurting Morocco’s Poor.” Al Jazeera, March 7, 2018. https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2018/3/7/how-an-education-crisis-is-hurting-moroccos-poor.

Tran, Mark. 2012. “Africa’s Growth Sparks Controversial Rise of Private Secondary Schools.” The Guardian, October 30, 2012. https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2012/oct/30/africa-controversial-private-secondary-schools.

Jagarnath, Vashna. 2024. “Unequal Schools Mean Unequal Futures.” Mail & Guardian, December 5, 2024. https://mg.co.za/thought-leader/opinion/2024-12-05-unequal-schools-mean-unequal-futures/.

McVeigh, Karen, and Kate Lyons. 2017. “‘Beyond Justification’: Teachers Decry UK Backing for Private Schools in Africa.” The Guardian, May 5, 2017. https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2017/may/05/beyond-justification-teachers-decry-uk-backing-private-schools-africa-bridge-international-academies-kenya-lawsuit.

Manar. Interview by author. Egypt, 2023.

Dorothy. Interview by author. Kenya, 2023.

Mpho. Interview by author. Lesotho, 2023.

Weini. Interview by author. Ethiopia, 2023.

Tresor. Interview by author. Malawi, 2023.

Precious. Interview by author. South Africa, 2023.

Irene. Interview by author. Nigeria, 2023.

UNESCO. 2022. Higher Education Global Data Report. Paris: UNESCO. https://www.right-to-education.org/sites/right-to-education.org/files/resource-