A major conference on early grade learning opened on July 15, 2026, in Malawi, bringing together education ministers, development agencies, academics and civil society organisations Source: ADEA.
Organised under the auspices of the Association of Development of Education in Africa (ADEA), the conference brings together education ministers, development agencies and civil society organisations to take stock of progress made in implementing foundational learning and numeracy across the continent Source: ADEA.
Kenya is represented at the conference by a strong delegation of top officials from the Ministry of Education, the Kenya National Examinations Council, Kenya Education Management Institute as well as civil society organisations like Usawa Agenda and Mizizi Africa Source: ADEA.
Dubbed the "Africa Foundational Learning Exchange (FLEX) 2026," the conference aims to expand initiatives that promote foundational learning across Africa. Research shows that learners' success in later stages of education largely depends on the knowledge and skills they acquire during the early years of schooling Source: ADEA.
According to the Executive Secretary of ADEA, Mr Albert Nsengiyumva, foundational learning is the basis for future learning, equipping children with literacy, numeracy, and social and emotional skills to develop, learn, and contribute to the continent's social and economic transformation Source: ADEA.
The theme of the conference is: "From commitment to results: Delivering foundational learning at scale" Source: ADEA.
The conference is hosted by Malawi's Ministry of Education and ADEA in collaboration with the African Union (AU) Commission, the World Bank, the Gates Foundation, the Hempel Foundation, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), UNICEF, and Human Capital Africa (HCA) Source: ADEA.
Among others, the conference seeks to explore opportunities for funding early grade learning, improving school infrastructure and reforming curriculum to improve educational outcomes. The conference also provides a chance for sharing experiences on successful implementation of foundational learning and adoption of digital technologies in expanding access to schooling and improving classroom practices Source: ADEA.
Building on the first FLEX hosted by Sierra Leone in 2023 and the second by Rwanda in 2024, FLEX 2026 serves as the premier pan-African platform for education ministers and senior government officials to exchange knowledge and engage with technical and financial partners Source: ADEA.
At FLEX 2024 in Kigali, 34 government representatives committed to ending learning poverty by 2035 through the FLEX2024 Declaration for Action. FLEX 2026 will track progress against those commitments and orient systems for delivery and impact at scale Source: ADEA.
