Foundational learning, encompassing the ability to read, write, and perform basic mathematics, is recognized as the essential cornerstone of a child's education and a critical development imperative. However, Africa faces a severe educational and developmental emergency, with a vast majority of its children lacking these fundamental skills. Approximately 90% of children in the region are unable to read and understand a simple text or complete basic mathematical tasks by the age of 10. This widespread deficiency prevents students from thriving in academic and professional settings, perpetuating cycles of intergenerational poverty and vulnerability.

Manos Antoninis, Director of UNESCO's Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report since 2017, highlighted the continent's steep challenge at the ADEA Triennale on Education in Accra, Ghana. He revealed that only about 14% of children completing primary school in Africa achieve minimum proficiency levels in reading and mathematics. When accounting for the one in five children who do not even complete primary school, this figure drops to a mere 11% of all children attaining basic proficiency. Antoninis described this as a major learning crisis, indicating that fewer than one in seven pupils meet global standards by the end of primary school, with only four countries recording proficiency levels above 30%. This underscores that Africa has a "big mountain to climb" in its educational journey.

To address this crisis, strong school leadership is paramount, with a crucial shift in mindset required. Antoninis stressed that school leaders are the second most important factor, after teachers, in improving student learning outcomes, accounting for over a quarter of the differences observed. Beyond administration, principals are vital for promoting inclusion, civic responsibility, and technology integration. Traditionally viewed as authoritative figures managing logistics, African principals must transition to become instructional leaders focused on guiding classroom change. Despite some countries developing stronger policies, progress remains uneven. Only about a third of African countries possess stand-alone professional standards for school leaders, and even fewer emphasize instructional leadership. A significant challenge lies in the inadequate preparation of principals; only 19% of countries require prior training, and just 30% offer induction programs for new leaders.

The UNESCO Spotlight Report on Foundational Learning, titled "Lead for Foundational Learning" and produced in partnership with the African Union and the African Centre for School Leadership, urges governments to empower school leaders as instructional guides. The GEM team has launched a new policy dashboard to track progress, including pre-service training and induction. The report makes eight recommendations to fortify education systems, with Antoninis outlining three frequently overlooked universal measures: ensuring all children have access to textbooks, learning in their native language, and receiving nutritious school meals. He emphasized that foundational learning cannot improve without these core inputs. However, the reality is stark: Africa is the only region where 80% of children do not learn in their home language, and only about 40% have access to school meals.

A critical impediment to progress is the pervasive lack of data and effective planning frameworks. Only one in five African countries has an assessment framework to guide learning outcomes, meaning many are "moving in the dark." Antoninis also pointed out that principals and parents often harbor an overly optimistic view of learning progress compared to objective data, highlighting the need for better data to understand the true extent of the challenge. He critiqued the current model of international assistance for data collection, where donors fund assessments primarily for global reporting, often failing to help countries build sustainable national assessment systems for their own purposes. He argued that true development involves strengthening national capacity to track and improve learning outcomes domestically.

Financing foundational learning faces significant hurdles. External support is projected to decline by over a quarter due to global geopolitical and economic pressures. Interventions can be costly, with some reaching up to $70 per student per year, nearly matching total country spending per learner. Antoninis advocated for smarter, more targeted spending, urging governments to prioritize "missing core inputs" like textbooks, teacher guides, and coaching support through affordable delivery methods. He also called on donors to shift their focus from extracting data to investing in building national institutions and systems.

Collaboration and knowledge exchange among African countries are deemed essential, though challenging. Events like the ADEA Triennale, which brings policymakers together, are crucial for sharing experiences and ideas, even if they don't yield instant results. Antoninis acknowledged that sustaining these dialogue spaces is expensive and requires careful prioritization and funding from bodies like the African Union, as countries, driven by national pride, may be hesitant to be "told what to do."

Despite significant efforts, Africa's progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) — ensuring quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all by 2030 — has not met targets. The 2025 SDG 4 Scorecard for Africa indicates 118 million children and youth are out of school, a number sharply rising in conflict-affected regions. While global agendas are inspiring, Antoninis cautioned against overly ambitious goals, suggesting countries define realistic targets based on their current standing and accountability to citizens, rather than uniform expectations. Historically, Africa has struggled with universal primary completion, missing goals set for 1980 and 2015. Antoninis predicts universal primary completion will likely not be achieved even by 2030, possibly delayed until the late 2040s, as one in five children still do not complete primary school.

Alarmingly, the number of out-of-school children has risen since 2015, from 42 million to an estimated 45-50 million, exacerbated by conflicts in countries like Sudan and Somalia. Concurrently, African nations face financial constraints reminiscent of the 1980s, with rising public debt and a reduction in education spending by middle-income countries from 17% in 2012 to around 15%. This decline in investment occurs precisely when needs are escalating. Antoninis cited a UNICEF report showing that even substantial additional global aid (U.S. $3.2 billion) would only benefit a fraction of out-of-school children, reinforcing that "aid alone won't fix the problem." Governments bear the primary responsibility, and effective use of their own resources is critical.

The state of learning environments also presents a major barrier. Half of Africa's classrooms are considered to be in poor condition, yet budget constraints lead to reduced spending on infrastructure. While civil society groups actively monitor education, meaningful accountability necessitates robust data, systems, and clear goals. Antoninis emphasized that real change commences with widespread awareness and alignment across all levels of the education system, from ministers to school principals, to mobilize the state's machinery effectively. Unfortunately, many countries remain "a little in the dark" regarding their precise educational objectives.