The Forum for the Improvement of Primary Education in Africa commenced in Dakar, Senegal, bringing together representatives from 21 member countries of the Conference of Ministers of Education of the States and Governments of the Francophonie (CONFEMEN), alongside international education experts, donors, and partners.

The forum, focused on addressing Africa’s learning crisis, emphasized lessons learned from Francophone countries and how to make progress in achieving the commitments to ending learning poverty in Africa. In her opening remarks, Prof. Mariatou Koné, President of CONFEMEN and Côte d’Ivoire’s Minister of National Education and Literacy, underscored the urgency of tackling learning deficiencies:

"Too many children leave school without acquiring basic literacy and numeracy skills. These findings call for urgent collective action. This meeting is a valuable opportunity to share lessons from PASEC evaluations. Together, we will identify what works, what needs improvement, and how to build on successes for a better learning environment."

ADEA Executive Secretary, Albert Nsengiyumva, moderated an expert panel examining the current state of primary education in Africa and its alignment with global and continental efforts to improve learning outcomes. The discussion featured key education leaders, including:

• Hilaire Houkpoundote – Coordinator, PASEC Evaluation
• Manos Antoninis – Director, UNESCO GEM Report
• Clio Dintilhac – Senior Program Officer, Gates Foundation
• Waly Wane – Director of Education, West and Central Africa, World Bank

The panel called for enhanced accountability, greater use of data in decision-making, and stronger investment in education to connect political commitments with school-level realities. While acknowledging gradual improvements in learning outcomes, panelists stressed the need for continued reforms to drive meaningful progress.

The second day of the forum will feature a field visit to schools in Dakar, offering participants classroom-level insights into Senegal’s educational challenges and innovations. The closing ceremony will take place on Thursday 30th January.

The forum aligns with wider, Africa-led engagements to end learning poverty in Africa by the end of the decade, as agreed by African education stakeholders led by Ministers in charge of foundational learning, at the second edition of the Africa Foundational Exchange (FLEX 2024) in Kigali, last november. This forum focuses on efforts by francophone countries.

More photos available here.