Attributed to Leslee Udwin, Founder and President of Think Equal
Education has always been the prime engine of progress, with early years education being the prime engine room. Mandela declared that “Education is the most powerful weapon we have to change the world”. Yet for too long, our efforts have focused almost exclusively on helping children read, write, and count in pursuit of economic growth and believing that high numeracy and literacy levels would lead to prosperity. This myth has long since been busted and is even less credible now in a world where AI and digital technologies are much more economically viable and efficient than human capital.
Academic achievement alone is not enough. If we are serious about shaping a generation capable of delivering and leading safer, healthier, and more prosperous societies, we must address an uncomfortable truth: our education systems are missing a vital subject.
We treat literacy and numeracy as essential while leaving equally important skills – empathy, emotional regulation, resilience and respect for others – largely to chance. At a time when our future depends on leaders able to navigate conflict, embrace difference and build inclusive communities, this is a gap we can no longer afford to ignore. These capabilities also speak directly to Ubuntu: the African philosophy that our humanity is bound up with the humanity of others.
Encouragingly, a number of African countries are showing what a different approach can look like. The Gambia, Seychelles, Kenya, Botswana, Eswatini, Zambia and Zimbabwe have implemented an early-years educational programme country-wide. In South Africa, more than 150,000 children are receiving social and emotional learning across 4,100 classrooms. Of the 14 countries globally that have adopted the Think Equal programme, which delivers social and emotional learning for wellbeing, psychosocial support and social justice, 80% are African.
As Leslee Udwin, Founder and President of Think Equal, has said: “Given that this movement and programme was inspired by Nelson Mandela and its fundamental underlying philosophy is that of Ubuntu, it is right and just that Africa should lead and claim this revolution in education as its own.”
The science is compelling, with neuroscience showing that around 90% of brain development occurs before the age of 5, making early years the critical formative years for human development. If we want our children to build healthy relationships, resolve conflict peacefully and value both themselves and others, we cannot assume that these competencies simply emerge on their own. We must treat them as important parts of a subject that needs teaching, like we do with literacy and numeracy. An anxious child cannot learn effectively, so neglecting this dimension in the early years may also contribute to poorer learning outcomes in primary school and beyond.
It is compulsory for a child to learn to read and count, yet it remains optional for them to be taught the skills needed to understand themselves, value another human being and build healthy relationships.
Botswana provides a powerful example of what is possible. Since implementing Think Equal, there has been an 85% improvement in emotional regulation and a 110% increase in social competence, alongside recorded reductions in emotional dysregulation, anxiety and withdrawal, and anger and aggression.
Described as “a life raft in very stormy seas” by Botswana’s President Duma Boko, the programme points towards a future generation of more compassionate and responsible children and leaders. These children will also be better equipped to navigate relationships, contribute to their communities and engage constructively with social issues.
Botswana is not acting in isolation. Growing interest in social and emotional learning across the continent reflects a wider recognition among individual African leaders that education must equip children not only with academic knowledge, but with the human capabilities they will need throughout their lives.
The question, then, extends far beyond any one country or continent. If the evidence tells us these skills matter, can governments anywhere afford to continue treating them as optional or absent? Can health ministries continue to haemorrhage billions of dollars on the mental health pandemic that is sweeping the world? Can prison ministries continue to manage overcrowded prisons due to a lack of preventative education?
Early intervention through social and emotional learning has the potential to strengthen children’s prosocial behaviours, wellbeing and mental health, while reducing risks later in life. Embedding these programmes in classrooms can also support wider national priorities, from social cohesion and gender equality to healthier relationships and more peaceful and inclusive societies.
These challenges are not unique to Africa. Children around the world are growing up amid conflict, polarisation, inequality and profound social and technological change. The need to equip them with empathy, self-esteem, resilience, emotional literacy, problem-solving skills and respect for others is universal.
Rather than viewing African education systems solely through the lens of what they lack or what they can learn from elsewhere, we should recognise where African governments are pioneering approaches from which others can learn.
The measure of a successful education system cannot simply be how well children can read, write and count. It must also be whether we equip the next generation to understand themselves, value others, resolve differences and participate constructively in society. Some African leaders have already recognised that. The challenge now is for education systems everywhere to follow their lead.