The
event
marked
a
significant
milestone
in
the
country’s
commitment
to
foundational
education
and
was
attended
by
government
leaders,
African
Union
officials,
UNICEF
representatives,
education
stakeholders,
and
civil
society
actors.
Zimbabwe
becomes
the
third
country,
following
Zambia
and
Malawi,
to
join
the
continental
movement
led
by
the
African
Union
in
partnership
with
UNICEF
to
end
learning
poverty
across
Africa.
Officially
launched
at
the
African
Union
Conference
on
Foundational
Literacy
and
Numeracy
(FLN)
in
September
2024,
in
partnership
with
UNICEF,
under
the
theme
“Read,
Write,
Count
Foundation4Life”,
the
ELPAf
campaign
is
a
continent-wide
initiative
to
mobilise
resources,
expertise,
and
political
will
to
tackle
the
learning
crisis
by
enhancing
the
foundational
learning
provision
across
Africa.
The
campaign
is
also
contributing
to
achieving
the
objective
of
the
Continental
Education
Strategy
for
Africa
(CESA),
which
aims
to
expand
cost-effective
approaches
to
improve
early
childhood
education
and
foundational
learning,
leading
to
quality
basic
education.
Officially
launching
the
national
campaign,
Honourable
Torerayi
Moyo,
Minister
of
Primary
and
Secondary
Education
in
the
Republic
of
Zimbabwe,
stated,
“Accelerating
foundational
learning
is
not
just
an
education
sector
reform.
It
is
an
economic
imperative,
a
social
justice
issue,
and
a
moral
responsibility;
hence,
our
commitment
to
fulfilling
this
obligation.
It
is
imperative
that
we
walk
the
talk,
educators,
parents,
and
community
members,
to
implement
effective
strategies
that
will
empower
our
children
and
secure
a
brighter
future
for
Zimbabwe.”
Speaking
at
the
launch,
Ms.
Sophia
Ashipala,
Head
of
Education
for
AUC-ESTI,
reaffirmed
“Zimbabwe
has
already
made
strides
in
education
and
shown
that
it
is
possible
to
lead
with
vision
and
determination.
By
launching
ELPAF
today,
Zimbabwe
is
reaffirming
its
commitment
to
ensuring
that
every
child—not
just
those
in
urban
centers
or
elite
schools,
but
every
child
across
the
nation—acquires
the
fundamental
skills
to
succeed
in
life.
This
is
more
than
a
campaign.
It
is
a
movement
for
equity,
quality,
and
justice
in
education”.
Despite
increased
school
enrollment
in
recent
decades,
the
learning
crisis
persists
across
Africa.
The
ELPAf
campaign
directly
addresses
this
challenge
by
shifting
focus
from
access
alone
to
actual
learning
outcomes,
targeting
the
critical
need
for
political
leaders,
policymakers,
development
partners,
and
communities
to
tackle
learning
poverty
among
school-going
children.
The
campaign
aims
to
increase
the
number
of
children
who
can
read,
write,
and
perform
basic
math
by
the
age
of
10,
ensuring
that
every
child
in
Africa
achieves
quality
foundational
literacy
and
numeracy
(FLN)
skills
by
2035.
UNICEF
Representative
in
Zimbabwe,
Etona
Ekole
emphasised
that
“while
Zimbabwe
takes
pride
in
being
among
the
African
countries
with
high
literacy
rates,
it
is
equally
important
to
acknowledge
and
address
the
persistent
gaps
within
the
education
system.
Observations
made
during
Joint
Monitoring
Visits
have
revealed
anecdotal
evidence
of
a
significant
number
of
non-readers
in
both
primary
and
secondary
schools.
This
is
also
reflected
in
pass
rates
as
less
than
50%
of
learners
pass
the
national
examinations
(Grade
7
–
49%;
O
levels
–
33.7%).
This
highlights
the
urgent
need
to
focus
on
foundational
literacy
and
ensure
that
no
learner
is
left
behind,
despite
the
national
literacy
achievements”.
Aligned
with
the
African
Union’s
second
ten-year
implementation
plan
2024-2033
of
Agenda
2063
and
specifically
the
Continental
Education
for
Africa
(CESA
2016-2035)
and
Sustainable
Development
Goal
4
(Quality
Education
for
All),
the
campaign’s
key
objectives
include:
•
Improving
foundational
literacy
and
numeracy
skills
for
children
across
Africa
•
Strengthening
teacher
support
and
training,
especially
in
underserved
areas
•
Mobilizing
political
will
and
financial
investment
in
quality
education
•
Engaging
communities
and
youth
to
drive
grassroots
change
The
first
phase
will
launch
in
25
countries
across
Africa
over
24
months,
targeting
an
improved
understanding
of
learning
poverty,
strengthened
continental
and
national
institutions,
and
advocacy
for
increased
government
investment
in
foundational
learning,
as
well
as
scaling
up
proven
pedagogical
practices
among
participating
countries.
The
campaign
will
mobilise
education
stakeholders
across
African
Union
Member
States
through
expert
conferences,
high-level
policy
dialogues,
teacher
capacity-building
workshops,
South-South
cooperation,
and
school
competitions.