Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, September 5-6,2024 – The African Union, in collaboration with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), hosted the Foundational Learning Conference under the theme “Inclusive Education: Ensuring No Child is Left Behind.” The conference concluded with a powerful call for bold actions and strengthened partnerships to tackle Africa's growing learning crisis.

Over two days, the event gathered a diverse range of stakeholders, including government representatives from 11 Member States, education experts, development partners, and civil society organizations. Together, they discussed and developed strategies aimed at improving foundational learning outcomes across the continent, with a focus on ensuring that every child, regardless of background, has access to quality education.

A significant milestone during the conference was the official launch of the "Ending Learning Poverty" campaign, an ambitious initiative aimed at addressing the critical challenges of learning poverty among children worldwide. The campaign is poised to build on the momentum generated during the event, with plans for ongoing advocacy, research, and collaboration over the coming months. The campaign, seeks to mobilize resources, advocate for policy change, and drive community-level engagement to ensure that every child, regardless of their background, has access to quality education.

In his opening remarks Prof. Mohamed Belhocine, Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (ESTI) underscored the urgency of addressing the learning deficit, with 9 out of 10 children in Africa unable to read or solve basic arithmetic by the age of 10.

He further emphasized the need for collective action: “Achieving meaningful change in foundational learning requires the collaboration of all sectors—government, civil society, and international organizations. We must mobilize our resources and our political will to turn these discussions into action.”

The conference also featured a powerful keynote speech from Ben Piper, Director of Global Education at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, who called for an evidence-based approach to tackling Africa's education challenges. “The solutions lie in leveraging data to guide our interventions and scaling proven models across the continent. We must move beyond discussions and commit to real, measurable progress”.

In her closing remarks, Dr. Laila Gad, UNICEF Representative to the African Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), stressed the importance of sustained, long-term efforts: “To tackle the learning crisis, we must ensure that every child, regardless of their location or background, receives the support they need to develop essential literacy and numeracy skills. We are committed to working with governments and partners across the continent to drive forward these reforms.”

Attendees participated in a series of interactive panel discussions and strategies to close the learning gap for marginalized communities. These sessions provided practical insights and tools that participants can implement in their own educational settings.

The conference highlighted challenges in Africa's education sector, including access to quality education, improving teacher quality, and policy implementation. It highlighted successful initiatives like the "Catch Up" Program, which improved literacy and numeracy in Zambia and Zimbabwe. Participants emphasized the need for significant investment, political will, and collaboration to close the learning gap and ensure sustainable improvements in educational outcomes.

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