Not sure ur aware that Africa has more countries than the three above...almost 50 more and both South Africa and East Africa regions has barely any adult without college education. So generalizing that many Africans only have high school diploma is naive. There is more to Africa that what is shown in the media...or you meant " ...problem in some African countries ..." doesn't matter.
Authenticity is easily verifiable...at least in the strong more developed parts like east and south Africa, and I wouldn't comment about "your Africa" on authenticity but only because I read that about 80% or more of DV entries from Nigeria and Cameroon etc are fraudulent... And elsewhere that these are the most corrupt nations etc - u may hold a trace of hearsay accuracy. But it's still hard to believe that there is no way to contact the examination board or school to verify in 2012!
In African nations, no one gets a decent job without a college degree...some countries outside Africa hire secretaries and receptionists without a degree but not in east or south Africa. I believe even in the US u can find a job as a secretary with only a high school diploma, and within 10 years of experience can be manager just with a high school diploma. Experience holds more value than academics. Not in the Africa I know...East n South. Academics are very well received.
Here are US government reports on Nigeria's, Sudan's and Ethipia's educational system and literacy rate as well as UNESCO reports and Deutsche Welle article.
According to reports, in Nigeria, Sudan and Ethipia, only 10-20% of eligible pupils people are enrolled in high schools.
Here is report from Deutsche Welle about Africa's educational reform:
http://www.dw.de/dw/article/0,,5277312,00.htmlaccessdate=27
Here is report from UNESCO about education in sub-Saharan region:
http://www.unesco.org/education/efa_report/zoom_regions_pdf/ssafrica.pdf
Nigeria
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/profiles/Nigeria.pdf
On page 9
"Education and Literacy: In 2004
Nigeria’s adult literacy rate was 69.1 percent on average, with
a higher rate for men (78.2 percent) than for women (60.1 percent). Nigeria provides free,
government-supported education, but attendance is not compulsory at any level, and certain
groups, such as nomads and the handicapped, are underserved. The education system consists of
six years of primary school, three years of junior secondary school, three years of senior
secondary school, and four years of university education leading to a bachelor’s degree. In 2005
59 percent of girls and 68 percent of boys were enrolled in primary school. However,
only 23
percent of girls and 28 percent of boys were enrolled in secondary school. In 2004 the Nigerian
National Planning Commission described the country’s education system as “dysfunctional.”
Reasons for this characterization included decaying institutions and ill-prepared graduates."
Sudan
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/profiles/Sudan.pdf
page 5-6
"Education and Literacy: Education is free and compulsory for children aged 6 to 13 years.
Primary education consists of six years, followed by three years of middle school and three year
of secondary or technical instruction. The primary language at all levels is Arabic. Schools are
concentrated in urban areas; many in the South and West have been damaged or destroyed by
conflict. In 2001 the World Bank estimated that
primary enrollment was 46 percent of eligible
pupils and 21 percent of secondary students. Enrollment varies widely, falling below 20 percent
in some provinces. Sudan has 19 universities; instruction is primarily in Arabic. Education at the
secondary and university levels has been seriously hampered by the requirement that most males
perform military service before completing their education."
Ethiopia
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/profiles/Ethiopia.pdf
page: 7-8
"
Education and Literacy: Education is free from primary through university level and is
compulsory on the primary level for pupils between the ages of seven and 13 years of age.
Thereafter, further education is a question of access to facilities; whereas a profusion of primary
schools are scattered across the countryside, secondary facilities are found only in larger urban
areas. Consequently,
enrollments decline drastically from the primary to the secondary level, and
secondary facilities are severely overtaxed. The Education and Training Policy implemented in
1994 restructured the education system with the goal of improving the quality of education,
although results have been mixed. Primary education, grades 1–6, begins at seven years of age;
secondary education, grades 7–12, at age 15. After tenth grade, students are separated into
university-bound candidates, who receive concentrated academic instruction, and those who
receive commercial, polytechnic, teacher, or other professional training. According to United
Nations estimates for 2000–2001,
47 percent of children in the appropriate age-group attended
primary school. Attendance among girls, at 41 percent, lagged significantly behind boys, at 53
percent.
At the secondary level, only 13 percent of children in the appropriate age-group attended
(15 percent of boys, 10 percent of girls). The main university campus is Addis Ababa University.
Universities also are found in five regional state capitals. In recent years, a number of private
schools have sprung up to meet the demand for university-level instruction, especially in Addis
Ababa. In 2001, according to the World Bank, education spending was equivalent to 4.8 percent
of gross domestic product. In 2002 the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) estimated that
only 41.5 percent of adults (49.2 percent male, 33.8
percent female) in Ethiopia were literate