What are the most efficient means to ensure basic learning competencies for a high number of children? This question is analysed on the basis of the exceptionally rich data set provided by the Programme d'analyse des systèmes éducatifs des pays de la CONFEMEN (PASEC), standardised and comparable for Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Madagascar and Senegal. Within the analysis of the determinants of education quality, particular attention is paid to the situation of different social groups (poor/nonpoor, boys/girls). It turns out that poor children are disadvantaged with respect to their learning possibilities because they have a particularly high probability of the absence of certain factors, which are important for the learning of all children. These factors include the availability of books, the parents' literacy, access to radio and television, the possibility of studying at home, and the availability of meals on a regular basis. As to the distinction between boys and ...