African education ministers gathered in Kigali, Rwanda for the second Africa Foundational Learning Exchange (FLEX 2024), held from November 11 to 13, to discuss solutions for improving foundational education on the continent.

The panel discussion, titled "Scaling Foundational Learning: What it Takes and What Works to End the Learning Crisis in Africa," brought together education ministers, including Rwanda’s Joseph Nsengimana, Zambia’s Douglas Munsaka Syakalima, Ivory Coast’s Mariatou Kone, and Malawi’s Madalitso Wirima Kambauwa.

Minister Nsengimana emphasised during the discussions that the country&039;s commitment to building a strong educational foundation, recognising its crucial role in student success.

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"We have come to realise how important it is to focus on foundational learning. One of the things we noticed was that there were too many kids in each classroom, making it hard for them to really learn," he said.

To address this challenge, the ministry began a program to build more classrooms, constructing over 22,500 between 2019 and 2021.

"This gave students more room to focus and learn better," Nsengimana said.

He also pointed out the need to hire more teachers to support smaller class sizes, sharing that 43 per cent of lower primary teachers were hired in the last three years.

He added, "We set up programs in teacher training colleges to teach new teachers the best ways to work with young students. This allowed us to use the new classrooms we had invested in."

To make teaching a more attractive career, the ministry introduced several incentives, such as providing the latest technology to teacher training colleges and keeping fees low.

"We prioritise teacher training colleges, making sure they get the latest technology before other colleges," he said.

Regarding teacher salaries, Nsengimana shared that primary teachers' salaries had increased by 80 per cent, while secondary teachers' salaries went up by 40 per cent.

On Rwanda’s approach to integrating donor-supported programs, Nsengimana emphasised the importance of maintaining government leadership in education.

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"The task of educating our children lies with us, the government. What the donors do is support and partner with us in accomplishing our responsibility. When we don’t adhere to this principle, we run into challenges because the donors' priorities might not necessarily match ours," he said.

Zambia's Minister Syakalima shared his country’s strategies to improve foundational learning, including special group sessions for literacy and numeracy.

"We have teachers group children outside regular hours to work on literacy and numeracy, and it’s been very effective,” he said.

Syakalima also discussed Zambia’s efforts to build "smart schools" using solar power, enabling one teacher to instruct multiple schools remotely.

"We’ve turned to solar to build ‘smart schools,’ where one teacher can instruct multiple schools remotely. This system attracts children; they’re excited to learn from different teachers through technology."

Reflecting on Zambia’s education funding challenges, he noted the need for responsible governance in managing donor funds.

Ruth Kagia, High-Level Envoy and Advisor at the Global Partnership for Education

(GPE) emphasised the importance of targeted funding for education.

"Making sure that all children enroll in school and stay long enough to learn requires funding, not just any funding, but funding that is specifically directed towards priority areas,” she said.

She noted the significance of ensuring that resources, whether from governments or donors, are well utilised.

Kagia added: "Partner funding is effective and helps to close critical gaps. One is the technical assistance for school feeding, recognising that it is a major barrier to children staying in school. The second is the gender accelerator funding, which has been very effective in supporting countries to get girls into school and keep them there,” she added.

Pia Britto, UNICEF's Director of Education and Adolescent Development emphasised the importance of equity in education.

"This is such a solutions-oriented meeting where everyone is coming together to make a difference. The solutions we’re talking about here have a ‘triple win’, for children, for society, and for the continent."

She further emphasised the need to ensure equal opportunities for all children. "It’s about giving every child the same opportunity and leveraging the demographic transition in the continent to actualise the dividend.

"This investment in learning will create a future of citizens who have the opportunity to develop their potential and the skills of strong character, benefiting both individuals and society."