BlogPAL NetworkUncategorized
By Paul Abok
Kigali, Rwanda, hosted the 2024 Africa Foundational Learning Exchange #FLEX2024, a transformative meeting aimed at improving foundational learning across the continent. Held at the iconic Kigali Convention Center (KCC), #FLEX2024 hosted over 500 delegates, including 22 Ministers of Education and government representatives from 34 African countries. The vibrant atmosphere was alive with animated discussions, and a collective commitment to addressing the pressing challenges of foundational learning in Africa.
On the first day of #FLEX2024, Armando Ali, CEO of the PAL Network, featured in the panel discussion, “We Measure What We Value and We Value What We Measure: Progress in Foundational Learning Assessments Nationally and Internationally.” His presentation spotlighted the PAL Network’s 19 years of work in basic reading and math assessments, rooted in the network’s citizen-led, household-based approach.
Armando discussed the PAL Network assessments, which at their initial phases invoked the critical question, “Are our children learning?”—a question that was posed well before the SDG 2030 agenda. He explained how early citizen-led assessments exposed a worrying reality: children were going to school, but they were not acquiring basic reading and math skills. This issue, now referred to as the “learning crisis” or “learning poverty,” is still a major challenge and underscores the need for robust data to track foundational learning outcomes for both in-school and out-of-school children.
He also introduced the PAL Network’s upcoming large-scale assessments—ICAN (International Common Assessment of Numeracy) and ICAR (International Common Assessment of Reading), scheduled for 2025, which will be conducted by PAL member organizations across 15 countries. These assessments, aligned with the Global Proficiency Framework and mapped to the SDG 4.1.1a indicator, are designed to generate nationally representative, comparable data for accountability and action in addressing foundational learning outcomes.
The official opening, held on the second day, was graced by Her Excellency Mrs. Jeannette Kagame, the First Lady of the Republic of Rwanda. In her keynote address, she passionately emphasized the urgency of addressing foundational learning gaps, noting that “reading and comprehension of simple texts is still an issue for 9 out of 10 children aged 10 and below in the majority of African countries.”
Her Excellency’s call to action was echoed by His Excellency Mr. Hakainde Hichilema, President of the Republic of Zambia and Africa’s Champion of Foundational Learning. He stressed the importance of strategic funding, evidence-based approaches, and robust accountability mechanisms to tackle the learning crisis.
A subsequent panel discussion brought together Ministers of Education from Côte d’Ivoire, Malawi, and Zambia, alongside partners such as the World Bank, USAID, GPE, and the Gates Foundation. The dialogue underscored the importance of foundational learning data as the cornerstone of effective educational strategies.
The event culminated in the adoption of an ambitious vision: to eliminate learning poverty in Africa by 2035. This commitment was presented in a five-point declaration, emphasizing the importance of political will, resource mobilization, and sustained collaboration. The stakes are high, with the World Bank projecting that success in tackling learning poverty could add $6.5 trillion to Africa’s contribution to the global economy by 2030, while failure could result in an estimated $17 trillion in lifetime learning losses across low- and middle-income countries.
In his closing remarks, Albert Nsengiyumva, Executive Secretary of the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA), announced that the next FLEX will be hosted in Malawi, a declaration officially made by Malawi’s Minister of Education, Hon. Madalitso Kambauwa.
The 2024 edition of FLEX was a powerful reminder of the impact of shared knowledge and collective action. It set the stage for transformative change, igniting conversations that will ripple across the continent. The commitment shown by Africa’s leaders and stakeholders reinforces the belief that through collaboration, the continent can overcome the learning crisis and secure a brighter future for its children.
