Although many countries in sub-Saharan Africa have proclaimed it their goal to achieve free universal primary schooling to all children, few have come close to achieving it. The authors of this study describe the implementation of a major primary school reform in five countries (Benin, Ethiopia, Guinea, Malawi, and Uganda).

The authors of this volume describe the efforts made in the last decade of the 20th century to reform African education, the goal of which was to achieve education for all. In a series of five case studies, the politics surrounding the planning and implementation of these reforms are considered, and their outcomes analyzed. The countries considered are Benin, Ethiopia, Guinea, Malawi, and Uganda. Although the reforms are still underway, the book covers at least their first five years, bringing together facts and judgments into coherent stories.

The authors present some conclusions about the implementation of basic education reforms that deserve serious consideration by policymakers, planners, and program managers. Have our assumptions about the process of reform been correct? Have we selected the policy instruments most suitable for use in implementing various policies and programs? What should we do to change the course of reform as we continue?