Despite the improvements, there are many children of school-going age who are still out of school. About 18% of school-going children are excluded from the system. Many who are in the system also drop out or repeat grades, with a repetition rate averaging 16% and a dropout rate of about 6.2% in 2003. The challenge is therefore is to address the internal inefficiencies as well as quality aspects of the education system.

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 In recent years, the Government has scaled up efforts to ensure that all pupils, irrespective of their socio-economic classification, have access to education, particularly in the last four years. Initiatives in this direction have included the provision, since 2002, of free books to all public primary school pupils; the gradual introduction of free stationery beginning with the first four grades in 2006 and rolling out the programme to grades 5, 6 and 7 in 2007; and the introduction of a bursary scheme for the education of orphaned and vulnerable children. Government has committed to introduce universal free primary education with effect from 2010 in line with the national constitution.

In terms of gender, there are no significant variations between boys and girls enrolments at the primary school level, although more boys than girls were enrolled in the system between 2000 and 2005, as reflected by the gender disaggregated gross enrolment ration (GER) indicators.

 The educational system also suffers from weak teaching capacity due to inadequate well-trained and motivated teachers. Training systems continue to suffer from major gaps in capacity to address key areas that are relevant to the country’s national development needs. The absence of sufficient and affordability learning materials in schools and training institutions continue to check the quality of learning. Due to high poverty levels, many families are unable to afford quality education. Inadequate provision of educational infrastructure has also affected the learning environment.

 To the extent that education is the bedrock of all sustainable development, the country is yet to fully ensure that there a broad-based expansion of access to quality and developmentally-relevant education and training at all levels. There are currently 557 schools providing primary education in Swaziland, with an estimated enrolment ratio of 93 percent of children of school-going age (girls 92 percent and boys 94 percent),[2] up from 72 percent in 2000; and an 84 percent attendance ratio.[3] However, a high number of children under or over the official school age are also attending school, placing a significant strain on the capacity of the education system. There are noticeable regional disparities in primary school attendance, although preliminary enrolment figures for 2007 indicate a levelling out of such disparities.[4] Rural/urban disparities and gender disparities are minimal at primary school level.