Mastercard Foundation

(file photo).

Foundational learning, the ability to read, write, and do basic math, remains a major challenge across Africa, with only one in ten children achieving minimum literacy and numeracy by the end of primary school.

Manos Antoninis, the Director of UNESCO’s Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report, described the situation as a deep learning crisis, with fewer than 14% of pupils reaching basic proficiency levels and one in five children not completing primary education.

Too many students are still missing this crucial start. The challenge now is how to scale what works and finance it sustainably across the continent, reports allAfrica’s Melody Chironda.