A classroom in Eswatini. Credit: UNICEF Eswatini/2009

Partner since:

Total grant support: US$5,494,502

Grant eligibility:

  • Multiplier
  • System capacity

Education sector plan

Objective: Improve access, quality; strengthen system resilience; and ensure adequate and equitable education financing and spending.

Other key documents

Coordinating agency: Swaziland Network Campaign on Education (SWANCEFA)

GPE Team lead: Nooruddin Gulbahar Shah

Transforming education in Eswatini

Eswatini's education system is organized into four levels: early childhood care, development and education; primary education; secondary education; post- school education and training comprising tertiary education; and technical and vocational education and training. Adult education/lifelong learning is provided for those who never enrolled or dropped out of the formal education system.

Eswatini is close to achieving universal access to primary education as a result of the Free Primary Education program introduced in 2010 to reduce financial, physical, and socio-cultural barriers to education.

Eswatini's Education Sector Strategic Plan 2022-2034 presents the long-term strategic priorities for the education system, in line with the country's priorities. The plan is guided by an overall vision of “children and youth prepared for life through quality education, leading to enhanced social and human capital development and inclusive growth”.

The government aims to raise the quality of education in Eswatini by making progress in the following areas:

  1. Improving educational quality and student learning at all levels
  2. Retaining students in school until completion
  3. Strengthening entry and exit points of the education system
  4. Enhancing teacher development and management
  5. Ensuring adequate and equitable education financing and spending
  6. Further improving access
  7. Strengthening system resilience (after COVID) and preparing for future crisis prevention.

Result story

In Eswatini, the Ministry of Education and Training is working hand in hand with civil society to coordinate the sector policy dialogue

Eswatini’s partnership with GPE has brought all stakeholders together to have a voice in the country’s education affairs. Read how a sector-wide approach to inform planning, budgeting, monitoring and evaluation, is helping the country to provide assistance that emphasizes strengthening national ownership and building a nationally-managed system in education.

Key data

22%

of government expenditure on education

Grants

(data as of December 21, 2024)

 
  • Type: Multiplier

    Years: 2023 - 2028

    Allocation: US$5,000,000

    Utilization: US$1,814,942

    Grant agent: WB

Civil society engagement

As part of its investment in civil society advocacy and social accountability efforts, GPE’s Education Out Loud fund is supporting:

  • The Swaziland Network Campaign on Education for All (SWANCEFA) for the 2024-2026 period. This builds on previous support from the Civil Society Education Fund (CSEF).
  • The Transnational Networks Advocacy Capacity strengthened for improved ECDE legislation, policies and measures in Southern Africa (TRANAC) led by Zimbabwe Network of Early Childhood Development (ZINECDA) for the 2023-2026 period.

Learn more

Latest blogs and news

July 11, 2022
Kingdom of Eswatini joins GPE
The Global Partnership for Education (GPE) welcomed the Kingdom of Eswatini as its latest partner country.