The African Union Commission (AUC), in partnership with the Government of Côte d’Ivoire and UNESCO’s Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report, today launched the country Spotlight report on foundational learning. The event also marked the release of the French version of the 2025 continental Spotlight report on basic education completion and foundational learning in Africa “Lead for foundational learning“, reinforcing Africa’s collective commitment to transforming education outcomes.
Speaking at the launch, H.E. Commissioner Gaspard Banyankimbona, AUC Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (ESTI), emphasized that the Spotlight series is a core instrument of the African Union’s Leveraging Education Analysis for Results Network (LEARN) network, a peer-learning mechanism under the Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA 2026-2035).
“We congratulate Côte d’Ivoire on the significant progress presented in the ‘Spotlight’ report regarding the advancement of education and the expansion of opportunities for learners. These efforts demonstrate the impact of sustained national commitment to educational reforms. The African Union is proud to lead and support the ‘Spotlight’ report series as a platform for sharing experiences, strengthening leadership, and accelerating educational progress across the continent,” stated Commissioner Banyankimbona.
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The Côte d’Ivoire report reveals remarkable gains: gross enrollment rates rose from 64% to 93% between 2000 and 2023, and primary completion rates increased by 56 percentage points since 1990, reaching 78% in 2024. The report also highlights the strengthening of school principals as instructional leaders and the establishment of school management committees in all schools surveyed.
However, challenges remain. Approximately one-third of Ivorian students possess only minimal reading and math skills, despite teacher quality and classroom materials exceeding regional averages.
To address this, the report calls for merit-based recruitment of school principals, continuous career-long training, reduced teaching loads to allow instructional leadership, and more collaborative governance involving local education authorities and communities. Two promising national initiatives, Objectives and Performance Contracts and structured pedagogy under the National Program for the Improvement of Foundational Learning (PNAPAS), are cited as strong foundations for reform.
Côte d’Ivoire’s Minister of National Education, Literacy and Technical Training, Mr. N’Guessan KOFFI, reinforced the urgency of action. “Every child is born to learn, but access alone is not enough. The lessons from the reports provide us with a clear roadmap: stronger school leadership, better-supported teachers, and shared accountability- from the classroom to the community. We are ready to act,” emphasized Mr. N’Guessan KOFFI.
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The African Union’s LEARN network will continue to use Spotlight reports to drive policy dialogue across Member States, supported by a new public policy dashboard that compares national approaches to curricula, school leadership, and learning improvement.
Mame Omar Diop, Head of the UNESCO Office in Abidjan, added:
“The Spotlight report shows that Côte d’Ivoire has solid foundations for improving learning. UNESCO remains committed to supporting these reforms alongside the African Union and national authorities.”