By Emman Lari
The African Union, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), launched the “Ending Learning Poverty” campaign, an ambitious initiative aimed at addressing the critical challenges of learning poverty among children.
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.
Prof. Mohamed Belhocine, Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (ESTI) noted that there is an urgency to address the learning deficit in Africa, a continent where 9 out of 10 children in Africa cannot read or solve basic arithmetic by the age of 10.
“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,” he said during the Foundational Learning Conference under the theme “Inclusive Education: Ensuring No Child is Left Behind.
Ben Piper, Director of Global Education at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation 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,” said Ben.
Dr. Laila Gad, UNICEF Representative to the African Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) said to tackle the learning crisis, Africa 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.”
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.