By Lydia Kalonde
Malawi will this week host education ministers, senior government officials and development partners from across Africa for the Africa Foundational Learning Exchange (FLEX2026), a high-level summit aimed at accelerating efforts to improve children’s foundational learning and reduce learning poverty across the continent.
The three-day summit, scheduled for July 15 to 17 at the Bingu International Convention Centre (BICC) in Lilongwe, will be held under the theme “From Commitments to Results: Delivering Foundational Learning at Scale.” The gathering will provide African countries with an opportunity to exchange experiences, share successful interventions and develop practical strategies to improve children’s literacy, numeracy and other foundational learning skills.
According to a press statement signed by the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) Communications Specialist, Chinedu Anarado, FLEX2026 is Africa’s leading country-driven, peer-to-peer learning platform that enables governments to learn from one another and accelerate reforms aimed at ensuring every child acquires essential foundational skills.
The statement says the summit will bring together 15 education ministers, five deputy ministers and official delegations led by permanent secretaries, secretaries-general and other senior education officials from 11 additional African countries.
“The exchange prioritises knowledge sharing and peer learning so that African countries can draw on continental experience in the collective effort to end learning poverty and ensure every child acquires foundational skills,” reads part of the statement.
Organisers say the summit will feature ministerial engagements, technical sessions and learning visits designed to showcase practical approaches to strengthening education systems across Africa.
On the opening day, delegates will participate in 16 parallel technical sessions covering a wide range of topics on foundational learning before attending a welcome reception in the evening.
The second day will feature the official opening by Malawi’s President, Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika, or his designated representative, followed by a closed-door ministerial roundtable and eight additional technical sessions focusing on scalable solutions to the continent’s education challenges.
On the final day, delegates will visit selected schools to observe practical interventions being implemented in Malawi before the summit concludes with a closing ceremony and a press briefing outlining key resolutions and commitments.
The statement further indicates that a dedicated media centre will be available throughout the summit to facilitate interviews with government delegations and development partners, including representatives from the Gates Foundation, Hempel Foundation, Prevail Fund, UNICEF, the World Bank, the African Union and ADEA.
Accredited journalists have been advised to collect media accreditation badges and access cards from July 14, with organisers stressing that access to the venue will be restricted to accredited participants for security reasons.
Delegates travelling from outside Malawi have also been advised to complete the required health declaration forms before arrival to facilitate immigration and health screening procedures at Kamuzu International Airport.
Education experts regard foundational learning as the cornerstone of quality education, noting that children who fail to acquire basic literacy and numeracy skills in their early years often struggle throughout their schooling, limiting future opportunities and undermining national development.
