This report presents a continental review of Africa’s progress in implementing the five commitments adopted at the 2024 Africa Foundational Learning Exchange (FLEX2024) in Kigali, while integrating the six recommendations on foundational learning endorsed at the 2025 ADEA Triennale. Prepared for FLEX2026 in Lilongwe, Malawi, the document assesses how African countries are advancing foundational learning reforms through strengthened political leadership, evidence-based pedagogies, improved data and assessment systems, more effective resource allocation, and enhanced partner coordination.

Using a trailblazer methodology rather than a continent-wide scorecard, the analysis draws on continental datasets, country self-reporting, and documented national reforms to highlight both achievements and persistent challenges. It concludes that Africa has developed a strong policy architecture for foundational learning, yet implementation at classroom level remains uneven. Significant progress is evident in government leadership, national coordination mechanisms, multilingual education, structured pedagogy, Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL), and assessment systems, with examples from countries including Côte d’Ivoire, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Zambia, and Malawi. However, financing constraints, uneven programme scale, and declining external education funding continue to limit sustainable delivery.

The report ultimately positions FLEX2026 as an opportunity to shift the continental agenda from policy commitments to measurable implementation, emphasizing stronger accountability, domestic financing, evidence-driven decision-making, and coordinated action to accelerate progress toward ending learning poverty by 2035.