Between the 23rd and 26th of March, Kenya convened its inaugural National Foundational Learning Conference in Mombasa. It will be the first conference ever dedicated to foundational learning in the country. The three-day conference under the theme; "Launch, Learn, and Lead", brought together international, national and county education leaders, state agencies, and non-state actors to strengthen collaboration around the country’s foundational learning priorities, celebrate progress, elevate evidence-to-action dialogue, and accelerate reforms that improve early grade learning outcomes.

On the occasion, ADEA was proud to associate with the Ministry of Education on the conference. We conveyed a strong message of goodwill and solidarity with the Government of Kenya and the Ministry of Education. Delivering ADEA’s message, Executive Secretary, Albert Nsengiyumva, affirmed the continental body’s commitment to supporting Kenya’s leadership on foundational learning and to ensuring that Kenya’s experience can inform and inspire reform efforts across Africa — while continental tools and partnerships continue to strengthen Kenya’s own reform journey.

"Foundational learning is not an abstract goal. It is the day-to-day reality of teachers and children in every classroom. These platforms and partnerships are the tools we offer to government and partners to accelerate progress — so that every African child can learn to read, reason, and flourish."

Albert used the opportunity to reflect on three ADEA-led continental initiatives that directly complement Kenya’s efforts: the African Foundational Learning Ministerial Coalition, which sustains high-level political commitment and peer exchange on literacy and numeracy; the African Foundational Learning Assessment Initiative (AFLAI), which supports countries in generating stronger, more comparable learning data and translating it into classroom action; and the Foundational Learning Initiative for Government-Led Transformation (FLIGHT), which connects country reform priorities with African-led technical expertise and catalytic support.

The conference served as the platform for the official launch of Kenya’s National Foundational Learning Guidelines — the culmination of a multi-stakeholder process that signals a major step toward more coherent, system-wide delivery of foundational learning across the country. The gathering convened local, regional, and global actors to renew a shared commitment to evidence-based improvements in foundational literacy and numeracy, reflecting the urgent need to address persistent gaps in early grade learning outcomes.

The Mombasa conference reflects a broader continental shift toward African-led, government-anchored approaches to foundational learning. Across the discussions, a clear direction emerged — advancing foundational learning at scale requires sustained government financing, strong teacher development systems, robust national assessment frameworks, and effective coordination across national and subnational structures.

ADEA looks forward to continued collaboration with the Government of Kenya, the Ministry of Education, and all stakeholders dedicated to ensuring that every African child learns — and to sustaining this momentum through upcoming continental moments, including the Africa Foundational Learning Exchange (FLEX 2026), scheduled for 15–17 July 2026 in Lilongwe, Malawi, where ministers, policymakers, and partners from across the continent will deepen collaboration, share lessons, strengthen accountability, and scale what works for every African child.