Education in Swaziland has suffered from lack of government investment. 

The highest high school qualifications available in government schools are O’Levels (GCSEs), which are taken at age 18, making it hard for students to gain access to higher education in South Africa or elsewhere, where South African Matric or A-Level standards are required. The University of Swaziland has approximately 5000 registered students spread over three campuses, half of which are working towards certificates and diplomas while the other half are studying for full Bachelor’s degrees. Around 50 students are doing Master’s programmes and there are currently no PhD or doctoral students enrolled. Apart from the university, there are also two technical colleges, three teacher training colleges and a nursing college offering post-high school vocational certificates. Lack of resources, low standards of teaching and frequent closures and disruptions make it very difficult for Swazi students to obtain a quality education.