The Aga Khan University's Institute for Educational Development, East Africa (IED, EA) is hosting its third and final Foundations for Learning (F4L) Conference in Nairobi, Kenya. The event, which concludes a three-year, multi-country series that began in Tanzania in 2023 and continued in Uganda in 2024, celebrates the project's achievements and looks to the future of education in East Africa.
The five-year F4L initiative has been highly successful, directly training over 2,500 educators across Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. This includes 717 pre-primary student teachers, 1,638 primary student teachers, 40 pre-primary college tutors, and 131 primary college tutors, all of whom are now better equipped to deliver inclusive, competency-based, and future-ready education to thousands of learners. The programme also saw 108 education leaders and officials across the three countries complete the flagship Diploma in Educational Leadership and Management (DELM) program, gaining the skills to lead more inclusive, innovative, and high-performing schools.
The conference, themed “Empowering Educators and Leaders: Innovation and Insights for Sustained Transformative Change," brings together representatives from ministries of education, teacher training colleges and other educational institutions. The goal is to discuss best practices, address persistent challenges, and explore opportunities to strengthen education systems across the region.
“This conference is more than a closing chapter – it's a celebration of the progress we've made together in building more inclusive, innovative, and resilient education systems," said Professor Jane Rarieya, Dean, IED, EA. “The relationships we have built, and the knowledge we have generated, will continue to inspire change well beyond this project's lifetime."
The Foundations for Learning (F4L) project has positioned these conferences as a key platform for stakeholders to share insights, strengthen partnerships and champion educational change. This year's conference will focus on five key pillars: implementing a Competence-based Curriculum, transformative leadership, gender equity and inclusive learning, innovation and technology in the classroom, and sustaining progress through research.
“Our collective vision is to ensure that every child, regardless of background, has access to quality education that equips them for the future," said Ms Anne Waithira Gachoya, Director of Education at Kenya's Ministry of Education. “The Foundations for Learning project has laid the groundwork for sustained, transformative change.
Looking ahead, IED, EA is calling on Kenya's Ministry of Education to build on this momentum by integrating the conference's insights into national education policy and teacher development programmes. By embedding evidence-based practices and scaling innovative teaching and leadership models, Kenya can continue to lead in creating an inclusive, future-ready, and globally competitive education system.
