The African Union, in collaboration with UNICEF, will be hosting a conference that aims to spread awareness about the importance of inclusive education for children with disabilities and other marginalised groups in foundational learning across the continent under the theme: “Inclusive Education: Ensuring No Child is Left Behind,”. The conference will explore innovative approaches and practical solutions to develop and implement inclusive education practices, ensuring no child is left behind.

Despite progress in education access, a staggering 89% of African children cannot read basic texts with understanding, and struggle to do basic maths by the age of 10. This alarming statistic serves as a wake-up call, highlighting the critical crossroads our continent faces in education. We must make a crucial choice: prioritise foundational learning to unlock our youth's potential or risk stunting our economic growth and human capital development. Urgent action is needed to improve the quality of foundational learning across Africa.

In response, the African Union is launching the "End Learning Poverty for All in Africa" (ELPAf) campaign, with the motto "Can Read, Can Write, Can Count: Foundation4Life." This initiative calls on African governments and communities to prioritise Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) and reduce learning poverty, setting the stage for a brighter future for our continent.

The conference is mobilising representatives from Ministries of Education, educational leaders, policymakers, experts, civil society organisations and stakeholders from across Africa to confront the deepening learning crisis that threatens the future of millions of children. The conference will emphasise the need for inclusive education practices that ensure all children, including those with disabilities and from marginalised groups, gain access to quality foundational learning.

Core Objectives of the Conference and Campaign are to:

1. Address the current state of FLN in Africa, identifying key challenges and opportunities for improvement.
2. Increase awareness and understanding among policymakers and educators of the critical importance of inclusive education for marginalised groups.
3. Formulate concrete policies and strategies to improve FLN and ensure that all children, regardless of their background or abilities, can thrive.
4. Strengthen partnerships and cooperation among AU Member States, educational institutions, and international organisations to achieve the shared goal of ending learning poverty.

The conference is expected to result in a comprehensive roadmap to improve FLN across Africa, with a strong focus on inclusive education. This will include recommendations for integrating inclusive practices into national education plans, aligning with the African Union’s 2024 theme of year "Educate an African fit for the 21st Century: Building resilient education systems for increased access to inclusive, lifelong, quality, and relevant learning in Africa". The conference will particularly focus in on outcome 2, which is emphasising the investments in Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and Foundational Learning through, among others, integration of technology and curricular activities.

This conference represents a significant milestone in ensuring that every child on the continent receives the quality education they deserve.

For further information, please contact:

1. Hiba Mohamed |Advocacy Officer| Department of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation| African Union Commission| E-mail: hibae@africa-union.org| Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
2. Maqhawe Freedom Thwala |Digital Communications Officer | Department of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation| African Union Commission| E-mail: ThwalaM@africa-union.org| Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
3. Gamal Eldin Ahmed A. Karrar | Senior Communication Officer | Information and Communication Directorate (ICD), African Union Commission | E-mail: GamalK@africa-union.org