Lesotho is on a journey: we have the ambition to transform how our education system delivers for our children and young people.

In 2010, we made primary education free and compulsory, and we are now close to achieving near-universal access that also includes the provision of school meals. We are increasing our efforts to expand access to pre-primary education and secondary education, particularly for vulnerable children.

As we celebrate the 200^th anniversary of the Basotho nation, it is an opportune moment to take stock and highlight recent achievements and innovations in our approach to delivering quality education.

Engaging partners

We are a nation that deeply values partnership. Collaboration is a cornerstone of our approach in the education sector, and we have been fortunate to engage with a range of longstanding and committed partners across public, private and philanthropic sectors.

Having both local and global champions as well as mechanisms and incentives to engage and align partners has been essential to our success.

Notably, in 2023, with the Roger Federer Foundation’s generous US$2.5 million pledge, we unlocked a further $2.5 million from the Global Partnership for Education’s (GPE) Multiplier, a mechanism that incentivizes new and additional funds through match funding in support of nationally identified education priorities.

These resources are supporting essential interventions in pre-primary education, teacher training and school readiness, implemented by the Network of Early Childhood Development of Lesotho (NECDOL) and UNICEF.

In May 2023, we were pleased to welcome Mr. Federer, staff from his foundation and a delegation from GPE to Lesotho. Together, they advocated for the engagement of Lesotho’s business community to provide longer-term support to the education sector.

Mr. Federer emphasized that quality education, including early childhood interventions, is a shared responsibility across government, business, and development partners, and that we must collectively prioritize and pool our resources toward a unified vision for the future.

His words still resonate with me and were an inspiration to our private sector colleagues for further action.

Involving the private sector

Education is key to how we envisage Lesotho’s path to development. Our human capital is a precious asset, and education a driver of many societal transformations.

In my view, this is why we must enter into a closer and more constructive dialogue with the private sector. Businesses have a vested interest in this generation and the next to thrive and gain skills for the jobs of the future.

It has been instrumental for us in the local education group of Lesotho, to benefit from the leadership of agencies like UNICEF and the Lesotho Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) to initiate, shape and drive our engagement with the Lesotho private sector.

Together with these and other key partners, we have worked hard over the past years to understand our respective priorities, share data and evidence on areas with the greatest educational needs, and diversify the perspectives within our policy dialogues.

Over time, our private sector colleagues have developed an understanding of areas of overlap both thematically and geographically between government priorities and their business strategies, particularly as they relate to children learning and becoming workforce ready.

All in all, these innovative and exciting partnerships are contributing over $11 million to Lesotho’s education reforms and key priorities.

And while the availability of GPE’s match funding, experiences from engaging in other country contexts, and unwavering support were key incentives to get us started and over the line, a shared sense of collaboration for impact among all partners has been a critical ingredient for success.

The private sector and GPE resources that have been unlocked will go toward enhancing equitable and inclusive access to quality primary and lower-secondary education for the most disadvantaged children in Lesotho.

These interventions include support to teacher training and digital learning, acquisition of 21^st century skills, as well as scholarships to address barriers to education.

Other businesses have since approached the education ministry and UNICEF on how to become engaged in supporting and financing the education sector.

We are actively exploring how we will establish a private sector financed trust fund for education that could serve as a sustainable pooling mechanism for future contributions.

Reflections on experiences to date

This effort to consolidate and harmonize private sector engagement and align it with our national priorities in education was novel for Lesotho, and I believe we will have valuable lessons to share with others.

Our initial takeaways are that:

• Shared goals aligned with national priorities are key;
• Public and private sector actors have different assets and capacities that can be complementary and brought together to address gaps in education systems;
• Champions both locally and globally are vital to maintain momentum and alignment of interests;
• Financing incentives like the GPE Multiplier create conditions that allow for partner resources to be leveraged and better aligned; and
• Focus on data and evidence helps guide resource allocation toward areas with the greatest need and potential for systemic impact.

Moving forward

We are grateful to all our partners for their steadfast support and engagement to improve learning outcomes in Lesotho and work toward ensuring every Masotho child, particularly the most vulnerable, benefit from the life-changing effects of a quality education.