By Charles Gachoki, Laté Lawson, Maurice Mutisya & Rigobert Pambe
The 69th annual Comparative and International Education Society (CIES) 2025 Conference was a vibrant space for critical education, data, and policy discussions. The Unlocking Data Initiative (UDI), funded by GPE-KIX and IDRC, hosted a panel that sparked deep reflections on foundational learning (FL) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), with a focus on Cameroon, Kenya, and Malawi. The conference amplified diverse perspectives, and our session stood out for its engaging discourse on FL data, policy, and advocacy.
Following four insightful presentations, the audience raised three key questions that were both pertinent and central to the core challenges of FL in Africa—questions we think deserve thoughtful attention.
These questions highlight gaps in consensus, policy priorities, and strategic engagement—critical issues that demand attention to drive meaningful change. Drawing on the CIES discussions, this blog revisits these pressing issues to advance the conversation and engage an even broader audience.
Question 1: Defining foundational learning in a multilingual Africa—shouldn’t we agree first?
The lack of a universally agreed-upon definition of FL is a recurring source of debate, especially in Africa and, generally, the global South. Unlike in the global North, where FL is often tied to native-language literacy, many African children are required to learn a foreign (often colonial) language before accessing education effectively. This context raises even more critical questions:
- Does FL hold the same meaning across diverse African countries like Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa, compared to nations like Canada, the U.S., or the U.K.?
- Should FL benchmarks be adapted to account for the multilingual realities in which children are learning in unfamiliar languages?
- How can we accurately measure FL when assessment tools may not be contextually adapted for these environments?
Without a harmonized understanding of what FL means in the African context, efforts in data collection and policy formulation risk remaining fragmented. This underscores the urgent need for a pan-African dialogue to establish a contextualized FL framework before focusing solely on refining metrics.
Question 2: Why do sub-Saharan African countries need foundational learning-specific policies?
The global south and sub-Saharan Africa, in particular, face a paradox marked by high enrollment rates alongside alarming levels of learning poverty. As highlighted in the World Bank’s 2023 State of Learning Poverty Update report, education systems in the region are already struggling to address this deepening crisis. Despite more children attending school, many complete primary education without acquiring basic literacy or numeracy skills. Although many countries have adopted policies promoting access, equity, and quality, the question remains: Are general education policies enough to address foundational learning (FL) gaps?
This situation demands foundational learning—specific policies for several reasons:
- Learning poverty requires urgent and targeted intervention
Decades of education interventions across Africa have successfully prioritized access, as demonstrated by the significant increase in primary school enrollment from 52% in 1990 to nearly 80% in 2019. However, this progress has been accompanied by a clear shortfall in educational quality. The situation is particularly alarming: according to the World Bank’s 2023 State of Learning Poverty Update, more than 87% of 10-year-olds in some sub-Saharan African countries are unable to read and understand a simple sentence. Addressing this crisis requires the development of specific foundational learning and numeracy policies, which can ensure the allocation of dedicated resources such as targeted funding, specialized teacher training, and appropriate learning materials—to effectively build foundational skills at scale.
- Some equity gaps demand focused strategies
Generalized education policies often fail to adequately address the needs of highly vulnerable groups. Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) faces some of the world’s most significant challenges:
- Out-of-school children: According to UNESCO’s 2024 Global Education Monitoring Report, the share of the global out-of-school child population in SSA increased from 32% in 2000 to 51% in 2023, with girls most adversely affected.
- Refugee and displaced learners: UNICEF’s 2024 snapshot on migrant and displaced children shows that over one in four immigrants in Africa—6.2 million—are children, a rate twice the global average, with East Africa hit hardest. Also, at the end of 2023, more than half of all refugees in Africa were children (≈4.5 million).
- Children with special needs (SNE): As noted by the United Nations, children with disabilities are significantly more likely to be out of school at all levels—and less likely to complete their education—compared to their non-disabled peers.
- Curriculum Shift: Coverage vs. Competency
Many African education systems continue to emphasize curriculum coverage over actual learning, which may explain why foundational learning outcomes remain persistently low. Specific Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) policies are essential to institutionalize competency-based approaches, ensuring that children master the basics before advancing.
This is well-articulated in UNICEF’s Curriculum Reform Think Piece by Cunningham (2018), which argues for a shift from traditional content-heavy curricula to competency-focused models that prioritize learning outcomes over rote content delivery.
Question 3: The advocacy gap—how can we effectively influence decision-makers?
The third critical question raised at CIES 2025 centered on the challenge of advocacy and influencing decision-makers. Even when strong evidence exists highlighting the importance of FL, reforms often stall. This is due to several factors, including
- Misaligned incentives: Education systems reward the low-level and short-term visible outputs, such as increased enrollment numbers and new infrastructure, over the more complex and long-term outcomes of improved learning.
- Limited political will: Policymakers may favour quick, visible projects that align with political cycles or funder priorities over foundational reforms that require sustained commitment.
- Fragmented advocacy efforts: Researchers, NGOs, and practitioners operate in silos, sometimes even working at cross-purposes, which dilutes their collective influence.
Moving from questions to action: Addressing the challenges
Tackling these intertwined questions requires a multi-pronged, strategic approach. The path forward involves
- Coalition building—uniting diverse stakeholders, including Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), teacher unions, and the media—is crucial to elevate FL as a national priority and create a unified voice.
- Evidence-based messaging—translating complex research findings into accessible, compelling policy briefs that resonate directly with leaders and policymakers—is vital for informed decision-making
- Leveraging global platforms—utilizing international frameworks such as Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) and the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) 2025 strategy—can help hold governments accountable to their commitments to improving foundational learning.
Conclusion: Towards Foundational Learning for Every Child in Africa
The CIES 2025 discussions highlighted three unresolved FL challenges in Africa:
- Definitional clarity: We need a pan-African FLN definition and framework.
- Policy prioritization: Foundational learning-specific strategies must address learning poverty and equity gaps.
- Strategic advocacy: A coordinated, evidence-driven approach is key to influencing policymakers.
The Unlocking Data Initiative remains committed to engaging ministries of education, researchers, practitioners, and other stakeholders to collectively tackle these critical questions. By working together to demystify evidence, align policies with learning needs, and amplify coordinated advocacy efforts, we move closer to the ultimate goal: an Africa where every child achieves foundational learning.