Strengthening the middle tier: how African countries are delivering on foundational learning commitments
Every commitment to foundational learning must ultimately be delivered through the middle tier.
At FLEX 2026, the Africa Foundational Learning Exchange, Human Capital Africa convened a session on “Strengthening the Middle Tier: How African Countries Are Delivering on Foundational Learning Commitments”, in partnership with The Learning Generation Initiative and the Education Development Center (EDC).
The discussion brought together Ministers of Education, senior government officials, district leaders and education experts from across Africa to explore one of the most pressing questions facing education reform today: how do we move from commitment to implementation?
Transforming learning outcomes requires more than sound national policies. It depends on a strong middle tier.
A clear message emerged throughout: district education teams, inspectors, curriculum support officers, local government officials, head teachers and school leaders are the people who translate policy into action, working closely with communities to ensure every child learns. Without them, national commitments stall between the ministry and the classroom.
Lessons from five countries
Drawing on experiences from Malawi, Uganda, Kenya, Ghana and Nigeria, speakers shared practical lessons on four fronts:
- Strengthening implementation between national policy and the school
- Building accountability that reaches district level
- Empowering local leadership to act on evidence
- Creating education systems that consistently deliver for children
We are grateful to our distinguished speakers, moderators, partners and everyone who contributed to such a rich exchange of ideas and experience.
As countries across Africa continue to prioritise foundational learning, strengthening the middle tier will be essential to turning ambition into action — and action into better learning outcomes for every child.
Together, we move from commitment to implementation for results.
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From the session
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