Human Capital Africa (HCA) has convened Heads of State, Ministers of Education, business leaders, civil society organisations and prominent African intellectuals at the Harvard Club in New York today.
The scale of the learning crisis in Africa is being more widely understood, with a range of international and African leaders making important commitments to prioritise foundational learning over the coming years.
Speaking at the launch, HCA founder, Dr. Oby Ekekwesili said: “It has been incredibly encouraging to see recognition of the learning crisis at this Summit and to see the level of commitment amongst African leaders, policymakers, and business leaders to address the generational challenge the learning crisis represents.
Commenting on Malawi’s participation in the inaugural scorecard, Minister for Education, Agnes Nyalonge said: “We have adopted the HCA scorecard because we know that taking known and reliable data and using it to guide our actions means we are better able to develop policies and better able to implement them.
“The beauty of this tool is that it allows all the partners involved in the education system to understand where they are against their objectives, embedding an inclusive approach. It enables regular multi-level reviews at policy and district level, allowing for mid-course corrections and helping to build collective ownership and accountability.”
The importance of Foundational Learning to the business community was recognised by Aliko Dangote, President of the Dangote Group of companies, who said in a message to the event; “This learning crisis is getting worse by the day and has consequences far beyond the classroom. By 2030, about a quarter of the world’s population under the age of 25 will be in or from Africa. So the economic prospects, not only of Africa but of the world, depending on the skills, capabilities and productivity of our youth.
“A large proportion of job applicants not only lack basic qualifications but also struggle with simple computation and comprehension. This hinders their ability to take up jobs we are desperate to offer and impedes those already in employment. Skills acquired early in primary school form the foundation for later learning and are fundamental to a productive, capable workforce and a strong economy. Gaining digital skills, or more rudimentary technical and vocational qualifications is harder without basic learning.
“Governments and businesses together need to look to the future and set policies and plans to focus on foundational learning. Investing in these basic fundamental skills would allow African countries to enhance productivity, promote greater inclusion and build a workforce that can adapt to the markets of the future and drive prosperity for all.
The importance of education to Africa’s future prosperity was highlighted by Nathalie Delapalme, Executive Director of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation who said: “By the end of the century, Africa’s youth population will be twice Europe’s total population. Even if we are at low levels of foundational learning today, the fact that we can make progress creates hope, and that is so important if we are going to succeed.”
Reinforcing the importance of addressing the learning crisis, renowned Nigerian author, Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie said “Reading is magical. Marks on paper become stories in your head. Reading helps you to think critically and contextually, and enables reasoning. We cannot talk about our problems if we don’t understand them, let alone begin to solve them.
“Everything I know today I can link back to what I learned in my primary school in Nsukka. It was the springboard that allowed me to leap, the foundation on which I could build. Every African child deserves that. It should be considered a moral imperative. The foundation is everything, without it, everything falls apart.”
The HCA scorecard will be formally launched with African Policy Makers at the ADEA Triennale Summit in Mauritius from October 19-21.
