MENA's education problem
And how edtech startups and AI are disrupting private tutoring
Jamie Lane & Zoe O Dwyer
June 04, 2024
Welcome back to FWDstart! 🐢
For this Tuesday’s deep-dive we’re looking at all things private tutoring and edtech related in the MENA region, and asking - what if every child in the MENA region had a personal tutor?
It was super fun and eye-opening to research and write, so we hope you enjoy!
We’ve also noticed a lot of new faces around here, so a very warm welcome to all those of you who are getting a FWDstart for the first time 👋
Be sure to connect with us below, and feel free to say hello!
And a reminder, if you haven't subscribed yet, join readers from 500 Global, Speedinvest and Shoorooq Partners getting a FWDstart twice weekly.
🎓 A personal tutor for every student
What if every child in the MENA region had a personal tutor?
I know what you’re thinking, “Wonderful, but - how?”
Look, I totally get it - the challenges are enormous.
Cost
Accessibility
Personalisation
And, maybe you’re wondering, why bother with one-to-one tutoring in the first place?
For context, in the 1980s, educational psychologist Benjamin Bloom found that tutored students outperformed 98% of their peers in conventional classrooms, showing a two standard deviation advantage.
Bloom concluded that most students could achieve high learning levels if given access to effective tutoring.*
That big “if” is known as the “2 sigma problem”.
Bloom’s 2 sigma problem
*It’s important to note that more recent research indicates that while most tutoring cannot achieve Bloom's 2-sigma level, high-quality tutors and advanced software likely can bridge this gap.
Recent edtech innovations and advancements in AI mean that solutions to that problem, may no longer be hypothetical for much longer.
The challenge for edtech innovators in MENA will be how to capitalise on these advancements and make personalised tutoring accessible to all, regardless of their circumstances.
The remainder of this article is for paid subscribers only.
Get access to the strategies, tactics, and wisdom of MENA's best investors, founders and operators with a paid subscription.
🌍 Why MENA is ripe for disruption
More than 50% of MENA’s population is under the age of 25, and UNESCO estimates that there are around 100 million school-age students in the region.
But, most students lack access to high-quality education, with many schools chronically overcrowded and underfunded.
It’s important to bear in mind that MENA is an incredibly diverse region.
Some countries, using resource wealth, invest heavily in education, while others, facing unrest and instability, spend less.
According to the World Bank, 59% of children are in learning poverty—they cannot read and understand an age-appropriate text by age 10.
Due to this lagging public school infrastructure, nearly 60% of 15-year-olds in MENA rely on private tutoring.
Let’s zoom in on Egypt.
The remainder of this newsletter is for paid subscribers only.
Don’t miss out! Become a member today.
A subscription gets you full access to our weekly deep-dives, which include:
✅ Analysis, case studies and interviews unpacking trends, companies, or industries, and more.
✅ Access to the strategies, tactics, and wisdom of MENA's best investors and founders.
✅ Practical and actionable guides designed to make you a better investor and technologist.
✅ Unlimited access to our online archive where you can read previous editions of the newsletter.