Johannesburg, South Africa — World leaders concluded the G20 Summit under South Africa’s presidency with a renewed global commitment to education as a cornerstone of sustainable development, economic growth, and social inclusion. The final Leaders’ Declaration document issued at the end of the summit on 23rd November 2025 placed quality education—particularly early childhood care, teacher development, foundational competencies, and digital inclusion—at the heart of the global development agenda, signaling a decisive shift toward long-term investment in human capital.

The Declaration underscored education as an essential enabler of resilience in an increasingly complex world, reaffirming commitments to expand access to Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE), strengthen the teaching profession, improve literacy and numeracy in the early grades, and bridge the digital divide. Leaders also emphasized the role of education in preparing young people for the future economy through stronger foundational skills, digital literacy, and youth employment pathways, alongside renewed calls to improve financing conditions that protect national education investments. For Africa in particular, the Summit marked a high point in positioning education not as a sectoral issue, but as a central pillar of economic transformation and human development.

A major outcome of the Summit was the launch of the IBSA Network on Quality Foundational Learning, established by the leaders of India, Brazil, and South Africa to accelerate collective action on early learning and primary education. At the IBSA General Meeting, host of the G20 and President of South Africa, His Excellency President Cyril Ramaphosa welcomed the initiative, expressing his satisfaction that the IBSA Ministers of Education are working toward deeper collaboration on quality foundational learning. He described the Network as a timely and strategic intervention aligned with the G20’s global commitment to early childhood education, teacher development, and inclusive learning systems.

“This commitment resonates strongly with the G20’s renewed emphasis on expanding quality early childhood care and education, strengthening teaching, improving foundational competencies in the early grades, and supporting more equitable and resilient education systems. The shared focus on empowering educators, improving learning environments, expanding access to digital tools, and supporting vulnerable learners provides a strong foundation for the Network’s work.” 

As South Africa prepares to assume the IBSA Presidency in 2026, it has pledged to drive the IBSA Network agenda with urgency—deepening peer learning, accelerating policy exchange, and building partnerships across the Global South and beyond. The Minister of Basic Education, Hon. Siviwe Gwarube, committed to mobilizing global support for foundational learning. 

“I commit myself, my department and the whole country to playing a leading role in mobilising global support for quality foundational learning as the cornerstone of human development and economic growth,” 

said Minister Siviwe.

The IBSA Network on Quality Foundational Learning will serve as a platform for countries committed to improving education outcomes from early childhood through the early primary years. While participation modalities will be determined collectively by IBSA in the spirit of partnership, South Africa has indicated that the Network will, over time and through consensus, create space for broader international engagement with like-minded countries, development partners, global institutions, and philanthropies.
With Africa’s youngest population and greatest development opportunity yet ahead, the G20 Summit has set a powerful benchmark for action. Through IBSA leadership and global alignment, education—especially foundational learning—has emerged as both a moral and economic imperative. As President Ramaphosa affirmed, investing in early learning and quality schooling is among the most consequential commitments a nation can make for its future prosperity.

ADEA participated in coordinating and developing the reflections and outcomes of the Education Working Group of the G20 and is also a key participant of the IBSA Network. These efforts reflected in the Leaders’ Declaration issued at the end of the Summit. We look forwarding to lending our voice and competencies to the coordination of the IBSA Network, aligning it with ongoing South-South knowledge exchange efforts, and advancing the continents foundational learning agenda, in partnership with other stakeholders.