Data for recent years show a turnaround in education: the gross enrollment rate in Sub-Saharan Africa increased from 78 percent in 1998 99 to 84 percent in 2000 01 and to 91 percent in 2002 03, reflecting broad-based growth in access not seen since the 1970s. However, key challenges remain, including (a) enrolling the last 10 15 percent of out-ofschool children, including a growing number of HIV/AIDS orphans (one of every 10 African children by 2010); (b) improving learning outcomes; and (c) reducing dropout. Maintaining progress will require continuing the reforms to (a) implement cost-effect.