FLEX 2024: African Ministers and Education Stakeholders Gather in Kigali to Track Progress in Addressing Learning Crisis on the Continent

Published on Wednesday, 6 November 2024

PRESS RELEASE

November 6th, 2024 — Kigali, Rwanda

Over 500 education leaders, including 28 ministers of education and ministerial representatives from 39 African countries, will gather in Kigali, Rwanda, from November 11–13, 2024, for the second edition of the Africa Foundational Learning Exchange (FLEX 2024). Hosted by the Government of Rwanda through the Ministry of Education, FLEX 2024 is the largest country-to-country platform for knowledge exchange dedicated to advancing foundational learning. This year’s edition will focus on efforts to scale successful education initiatives across Africa to reverse learning poverty. Learning poverty, which is the inability of children to meet basic literacy and numeracy milestones, poses a substantial threat to Africa’s future workforce.

According to Hon. Joseph Nsengimana, Minister of Education Rwanda,

“The Foundational Learning Exchange aligns perfectly with our vision for education in Rwanda: to ensure equitable access to quality education for every child. By bringing together representatives from across the continent, we can share knowledge, track progress on foundational learning outcomes, and foster collaborative engagement. This event is an opportunity for Africa to unite on our goal for collective growth and to equip every child with the skills necessary to contribute to socio-economic development, in line with the Rwandan Education Sector Strategic Plan. We warmly welcome all delegates, education stakeholders, policymakers, and opinion leaders to this esteemed gathering.”

FLEX 2024 comes at a critical time as learning poverty rates in sub-Saharan Africa approach 90%, according to reports by UNESCO’s Global Education Monitoring Report, the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA), and the African Union.

Studies by the World Bank highlight that addressing this challenge could unlock an estimated $6.5 trillion in economic opportunities. However, failure to act could result in economic losses of up to $17 trillion across the continent. The World Bank estimates a $97 billion funding gap in education for sub-Saharan Africa, underscoring the urgent need for committed and collaborative action among African nations and development partners.

The 2024 Foundational Learning Action Tracker by UNICEF reveals that while progress has been made, much more needs to be done to scale foundational learning solutions across Africa. Of the 36 countries surveyed, only one in five has made significant progress since last year. While many nations continue to intensify efforts to keep children in school and prioritise essential literacy and numeracy skills, there is a notable gap in support for effective classroom teaching. The report highlights that fewer than 1 in 10 countries have implemented nationwide targeted instruction - one of the most cost-effective strategies to improve learning. 

Over three days, FLEX 2024 will convene policymakers, development partners, and education experts to assess progress on foundational learning commitments made at key gatherings such as the 2023 FLEX, ADEA’s High-Level Policy Dialogue in Lusaka, the ADEA Triennale in Mauritius in 2022, and the Africa Human Capital Summit in Dar-es-Salaam in 2023. The event also marks a milestone in the African Union’s Year of Education, providing an opportunity to evaluate the implementation of the Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA 2024) and other key regional education goals.

The conference will feature a range of activities, including panel discussions, roundtables, and informal dialogues aimed at sharing insights from foundational learning interventions across Africa. Participants will jointly develop strategies to meet learning goals, fostering the exchange of knowledge and experiences in addressing the learning crisis.

What the organising partners are saying:

World Bank

Victoria Kwakwa, Vice President, Eastern and Southern Africa, World Bank 

“With Africa's working-age population expected to double by 2050, it's urgent for governments to invest in foundational learning, starting with universalizing early childhood education, focusing on proficiency in literacy and numeracy, and keeping vulnerable populations—in particular adolescent girls— in school. Together with expanding skills, including the mastery of new technologies, stronger foundational learning is indispensable for a more prosperous and inclusive future. The 2024 Africa Foundational Learning Exchange will help pave the way for educational renewal and transformation for children across the continent. The World Bank is committed to partnering with governments and stakeholders to drive swift and impactful change.” 

Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA)

Albert Nsengiyumva, Executive Secretary, ADEA.

“As a forum for policy dialogue on education in Africa, ADEA is excited that countries are leading the way towards reversing learning poverty and charting a clear pathway to educating and skilling every child. Hence, our support for FLEX ensures that we can promote knowledge exchange while sharing evidence of what works in foundational learning. This is how we promote the scaling of successful initiatives and ensuring access to education for all children in Africa. We welcome delegates, country representatives, and partners to this event and look forward to the deliberations, outcomes, and resolutions.”

UNICEF

Etleva Kadilli, UNICEF Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa. 

“To ensure prosperity across Africa, we urgently need to see greater political commitments and investment that are turned into concrete action. Governments must reach every child and keep them in school, assess learning outcomes regularly, support teachers to deliver the basics, and develop children’s mental health and well-being. Only then will children attain the reading, math, and socio-emotional skills necessary for them to progress to higher forms of education and realise their further potential.”

Hempel Foundation

Anders Holm, Executive Director at the Hempel Foundation.

“As catalyst funder of the Africa Foundational Learning Exchange, the Hempel Foundation is committed to accelerating and scaling solutions that make a real difference. This platform brings together policymakers, thought leaders, development partners, and implementers, creating a unique opportunity to transform commitment into impactful, scalable action.”

USAID

Natasha de Marcken, Deputy Assistant Administrator and Acting Senior Coordinator for International Basic Education, 

“The FLEX conference provides an invaluable opportunity to exchange knowledge and ideas on effective approaches to help children gain foundational learning skills across Ministries of Education, who are the leading experts and drivers of change for education on the African continent. In our partnerships that aim to help children and youth gain foundational learning skills, we have seen that to achieve results at scale, it takes time, iteration, and sustained commitment. FLEX is a venue where we can highlight key learnings over time, and renew our collective  commitment to ensure all children gain foundational literacy, numeracy, and social-emotional skills.”

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