Education and knowledge is a vital tool for the progress of any society. It is a former United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan puts it: “Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family.” The importance of learning is evident in the world today as we know it. One of the ways innovative techniques of doing things are created is from education.

As the world progresses, it has not only become a question of 'what else do we need to learn to make the world much easier and far better for us.' It is now a question of how easier can we make these learnings so as to move with the tides of time. Where the world is progressing well with technological resources that make learning easy and simple, the same can not be said for Africa.

The second-largest continent by landmass is still struggling to meet educational world standards and there are a number of factors that play into this. However, there are a number of startups that are creating innovative ways to help students in any grade achieve just an equal amount of ease in their learning experience.

Here are five Edtech startups creating innovative learning experience

Disrupt Tutoring

Launched in South Africa, this edtech platform aims to provide an “epic education” to teachers, students, learners, tutors and even parents. The company was founded by Jedd Harris, an educator at St David’s Marist Inanda in Sandton, Johannesburg, and Wits PhD Candidate Wade Stanton-Jones.

This startup is a privately owned company that provides inspirational and insightful articles aimed at helping students, learners, teachers, and tutors. It also provides educational videos for Mathematics (from grade seven to grade 12) and Algebra and Calculus for A.P Mathematics. Educational videos are also provided for Life Sciences and Physical Sciences from grade 10 to grade 12. The giveaway part of the platform is the ease that comes with using it in learning.

uLesson

This is another exciting edtech platform for learning. uLesson was birthed in 2019 by Sim Shagaya, a Nigerian serial entrepreneur following stints at Konga and DealDey. Sim disclosed that the company was started to bridge the gap in learning for kids in secondary schools across Africa.

Since launching, the startup has recorded more than one million app downloads and raised over $10 million from investors, making it one of Africa’s best-funded edtech startups.

This platform is currently serving students in Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and The Gambia, uLesson has its eyes targeted on the East and Southern African regions for its expansion plans.

The platform uses interactive videos and student-focused content to teach students. uLesson seeks to augment the existing educational systems.

PrepClass

Founded in 2014 by Chukwuwezam Obanor and Olumide Ogunlana PrepClass seeks to address the severe shortage of trained teachers in Nigeria. The platform connects learners and tutors for a fee.

Since its launch in 2014 the startup has raised over $400,000 from investors such as Venture Garden Group and Africa Angels Network.

M-Shule

Founded in January 2016 by Julie Otieno and Claire Mongeau, M-Shule is a Kenyan edtech startup that utilises artificial intelligence to deliver personalised learning experiences to learners through SMS and chatbots.

Performance data from students is then shared with parents, schools, and teachers to enhance the learning process.

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Kidato

Kenyan serial entrepreneur, Sam Gichuru, founded Kidato to solve the problem of a high student to teacher ratio problem after he had to take his children out of school to be homeschooled.

The startup was accepted into Y Combinator in 2021. Kidato is an online school for students between the ages of 4 and 18. It offers both regular academic classes and after-school lessons for students. To ensure that the students also have the interaction that occurs in regular schools, the school takes students on monthly educational field trips.

According to a 2021 UNESCO Institute of Statistics report, one in five children between the ages of 6 and 11 are out of school. The number increases as the children get older, with one-third of youth between the ages of 12 and 14 being out of school and almost 60% of youth between 15 and 17 out of school.

Edtech startups like these have risen to the occasion in Africa - although they get little attention or funding when compared to the fintech or agritech startups in Africa, they supplement the job of the continent’s existing educational structures and reduce the crisis.

Other notable edtech startups include: Tuteria, Pass.ng, Abani Africa, Smartix Education, eLimu, Gradely, Syafunda, Extramarks, Patatutor, Examsta, Turtlejar Tutors.