Gates Foundation pledges $50 million to improve Foundational learning in Africa

The funding will support Global Partnership for Education (GPE) partner countries that have identified foundational learning as a priority in their efforts to strengthen education systems.

The commitment will provide technical assistance while helping countries access additional financing for education reforms.

Across sub-Saharan Africa, many children complete the early years of primary school without developing basic reading and numeracy skills, limiting their ability to progress through school and participate fully in their communities and economies.

The pledge will support African expertise and technical assistance through initiatives including the Foundational Learning Initiative for Government-Led Transformation (FLIGHT) and the Africa Foundational Learning Assessment Initiative (AFLAI).

 It will also leverage the GPE Multiplier, which is designed to help countries unlock additional education financing.

“Across sub-Saharan Africa, too many young learners lack the foundational skills they need to read, do math, learn and thrive and that’s a profound barrier to their potential,” said Dr. Benjamin Piper, Director of the Global Education Program at the Gates Foundation.

Piper said the foundation was encouraged by the growing number of African countries prioritising foundational learning and would work with governments to improve learning outcomes.

GPE CEO Laura Frigenti described foundational learning as one of the most critical and cost-effective investments countries can make.

“This commitment will help GPE partner countries strengthen foundational learning and give more children the basic skills they need to succeed in school and their communities,” she said.

The pledge was announced on September 8, International Literacy Day, as part of GPE’s Multiply Possibility campaign.

The campaign aims to improve education for nearly 750 million children globally and support the training of 10 million teachers.

For African education systems, the investment comes at a time when governments are increasingly seeking to improve learning outcomes while using domestic and external financing more effectively.

 The focus on government-led reforms and African technical expertise also places national education systems at the centre of efforts to translate funding into better outcomes for learners.

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