Explore ECED-FLN Policy Documents

Browse ECED-FLN reports, policy papers, and resources from across Africa.

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PDF 2026
Interventions to improve girls’ school attendance in Africa: An expert review of current evidence and future perspectives

This review synthesizes evidence on interventions aimed at improving girls' school attendance across Africa, examining barriers such as poverty, early marriage, and inadequate sanitation. It highlights that multicomponent initiatives are most effective for sustaining educational participation.

PDF 2026
From Assessment Data to Better Evidence: Strengthening Africa’s Foundational Learning Evidence Ecosystem

This report examines the landscape of foundational learning assessments in Africa, advocating for the treatment of assessment data as long-term public assets. It highlights how open microdata and the FAIR principles can improve data quality, comparability, and evidence-based policymaking for foundational learning and numeracy.

PDF 2026
Pathways Digital Competency Framework for Educators in Sub-Saharan Africa

A comprehensive framework developed by UNICEF to guide and assess the digital competencies of educators across Sub-Saharan Africa, supporting foundational learning and adaptive educational technologies.

PDF 2026
Training Teachers for the New Pathways: Empowering Change through Inclusive, Innovative, and Sustainable Teacher Education in Africa

This paper examines the restructuring of teacher preparation in Africa—with a focus on Kenya's Competency-Based Education reforms—to align with new educational pathways, inclusion, and sustainable development. It addresses teacher readiness, policy frameworks like CESA 16-25, and professional development ecosystems.

PDF 2026
OECD Guidance on Outcomes-Based Financing: Public Consultation Summary

This summary of stakeholder feedback on the OECD Outcomes-Based Financing guidance explores financing mechanisms applicable to social sectors like education, including early childhood development and foundational learning.

PDF 2026
Financing the Foundations: Public Investment in Early Childhood Development in East and Southern Africa

This UNICEF policy note examines public financing and expenditure for early childhood development across East and Southern Africa. It analyzes spending gaps, budget tracking challenges, and the alignment of fiscal allocations with the Nurturing Care Framework.

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Middle Tier for Foundational Learning

This research note examines the role of subnational middle-tier personnel and structures in scaling, supporting, and sustaining foundational literacy and numeracy reforms across low- and middle-income education systems.

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Addressing Learning Poverty in Africa: Policies and Implementation

This paper examines the structural, pedagogical, and policy drivers of learning poverty across Africa, where nine out of ten children cannot read simple text by age 10. It reviews strategies such as structured pedagogy, multilingual education, and teacher professional development to improve foundational learning outcomes.

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Policy Implications on Learner Retention in Selected Rural Primary Schools in South Africa

This study explores the policy implications of grade retention among foundation phase learners in rural South African primary schools. It examines teacher perspectives on holding back struggling students and highlights the challenges of early grade academic performance.

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Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) Toolkit, Version 3.0

This toolkit provides comprehensive guidance for designing, adapting, implementing, analyzing, and reporting on the Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA). It serves as a practical manual for educators, researchers, and policymakers aiming to measure and improve foundational literacy skills in early primary grades.

PDF 2026
Report of Proceedings: African Union ECED & FLN Cluster Orientation Meeting

This report details the official launch and orientation meeting of the reconstituted Early Childhood Education and Development & Foundational Learning (ECED & FLN) Cluster under CESA 26-35. It outlines the cluster's governance, strategic priorities, and implementation framework for advancing early learning across Africa.

PDF 2025
The Status of Tuseme in Mainstream Schools: GPE-KIX Tuseme Project Report

This project report evaluates the implementation of the Tuseme gender empowerment youth clubs, gender-responsive pedagogy, and centres of excellence in mainstream schools across Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda. It identifies key enabling and disenabling factors regarding student self-esteem, leadership, and educational engagement to inform scaling strategies for vulnerable and displaced communities.