Born to Learn: Foundational learning as a catalyst for education transformation across Africa

Group Submission Type: Formal Panel Session

Proposal

In Africa, it is estimated that at most one in five children in Africa reaches the minimum level of proficiency in reading and mathematics by the end of primary education. Yet, despite a shared understanding that progress in foundational learning is necessary, there are still divergent views on how to tackle the challenge: for instance, whether the emphasis should be on tackling education or broader development challenges, such as poverty, malnutrition and language; whether solutions require external economic assistance or not; whether the focus should be on the primary grades or on system-wide improvement etc.

The Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report, the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA), and the African Union have partnered in the Spotlight, a monitoring report series on universal basic education completion and foundational learning in Africa to summarize these key debates. The 2024 Spotlight report focuses on how countries align their curriculum, textbooks, teacher support, and assessment, with a specific focus on mathematics. The Spotlight series’ theory of change combines an emphasis on peer learning with an element of advocacy, the latter of which will be the focus of this panel. In particular, the #BorntoLearn campaign is part of the Spotlight series, which brings a protest dimension, as it seeks to raise awareness about foundational learning in Africa. The #BorntoLearn campaign aims to harness the power of youth and civil society voices demanding action across the continent.

The panel will (i) provide an overview of the findings from the 2024 Spotlight continental report; (ii) showcase country reports and background papers, and; (iii) highlight partnerships and mechanisms for advancing foundational learning across Africa.

Sub Unit

• General Pool

Chair

• Josephine Kiyenje, Global Education Monitoring Report, UNESCO

Individual Presentations

• System alignment for delivering foundational learning in Uganda - Mary Goretti Nakabugo, Uwezo Uganda

• Home languages instruction to improve foundational skills - Barbara Trudell, SIL Africa Learning & Development

• Does a strong vision for foundational learning ensure system alignment in South Africa? - Stephen Taylor, Department of Basic Education

• Advancing partnerships and peer learning for foundational learning across Africa - Albert Nsengiyumva, Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA)