By our staff reporter
Actors within the sector are urging African leaders to demonstrate their commitment to altering the current trajectory of delivering high-quality education to children. A recent study reveals that nine out of ten African children under the age of ten lack literacy skills and fundamental math comprehension.
African Heads of State and Government are being called upon to endorse and support foundational learning ahead of the African Union Year of Education. This call comes following a two-day meeting held in Addis Ababa earlier this week by African Youth Voices, Human Capital Africa (HCA), and the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA).
To address the learning crisis gripping the continent, leaders are urged to acknowledge its severity, develop a continental strategy, and allocate resources towards gathering data and evidence to inform effective policies and initiatives. Prioritizing funding towards proven methods would expedite progress and ensure that every African child has access to a top-notch foundational education.
Participants of the Human Capital Africa conference on foundational learning emphasized the importance of recognizing that by the age of ten, nine out of ten African children struggle with reading and basic math comprehension. This situation poses further declines in human capital for Africa. The summit also stressed the imperative for Heads of State to understand that failure to address the learning crisis would have disastrous consequences on secondary, postsecondary, and TVET education outcomes across the continent, severely limiting future employment prospects.
Furthermore, it was highlighted that neglecting the learning crisis could hinder the achievement of ten or more of the Sustainable Development Goals, exacerbating health outcomes, increasing youth unemployment, and deepening poverty. Additionally, it could impede the continent’s private sector growth by restricting access to skilled labor and obstructing the realization of the African Union’s Vision for the “Africa we want” by 2063.
Erastus Mwencha, speaking on behalf of President Joyce Banda and Chair of the HCA Advisory Board, emphasized the gravity of the situation, stating, “Even with our combined efforts and years of advancement, nine out of ten African children cannot read and comprehend a basic paragraph by the time they are ten years old.”
Representatives from the African Foundational Learning Ministerial Coalition attended the event, aiming to facilitate collaboration, knowledge sharing, and collective advocacy among African countries combating the learning crisis. Trevor Manuel, former South African finance minister and HCA advisory board member, stressed the importance of ensuring that education receives more than just passing mention at institutional summits, advocating for actionable plans with measurable impact.
Special guest of honor, President Sahlework Zewde of Ethiopia, highlighted the significance of education in her keynote address and acknowledged the prioritization of education by Heads of State and Government through the declaration of 2024 as the African Year of Education.
Oby Ezekwesili, CEO of Human Capital Africa, emphasized the crucial need for improved data utilization and evidence-based decision-making to ensure that government investments in education yield positive outcomes. Albert Nsengiyumva, ADEA Executive Secretary, emphasized the need for systematic implementation at scale to address the learning crisis comprehensively and effectively.
