When Regional Movements Become Global & Local Calls to Action: Experiences of LGI Champion Baela Raza Jamil at the EAC Inaugural Conference

From August 12-15, 2024, the energy to learn, share, and influence was palpable in Arusha, Tanzania. Over 450 regional and global delegates gathered for the first East African Community (EAC) Regional Education Conference. This four-day event celebrated 2024 as the African Union’s Year of Education and provided a platform to showcase, receive feedback on solutions, share evidence, and launch research. The conference, themed “Educate an African Fit for the 21st Century: Collective Action for Quality, Inclusive, and Life-Long Learning in East Africa,” was shaped by five objectives and nine thematic strands.

I could not help but rekindle the memory of my first encounter with Arusha as a ten-year-old child brought up in a socialist home, and the stirring Arusha Declaration of 1967 by Julius Nyerere.

At the EAC conference, the Vice President of Tanzania, H.E. Philip Mpango, boldly called for concerted regional efforts to enhance education systems to meet 21st-century demands. He emphasized investing in education, adopting innovative approaches, and ensuring quality learning opportunities for every child. All eminent EAC leaders highlighted the national and regional commitment to joint responsibility and ambitions for education and learning.

“The time to act for education in Africa is now. The future of our children depends on the quality of education we provide today.” – H.E. Philip Mpango, Vice President of Tanzania

Investing in education is not just about the present. It’s about securing a prosperous future for generations to come.

The conference allowed the The Learning Generation Initiative (LGI) to share its latest work on Systems Delivery and the Education Workforce Initiative including the potential of the Middle Tier, and Learning Teams. LGI’s presence was prominent in three segments from August 12-14, 2024.

• Workshop on Middle Tier System Leaders in partnership with UNESCO IIEP (Aug 12): This session explored how middle-tier education professionals ?- education professionals working between the central government and schools - can transform teaching and learning, sharing insights from participants like Vincent Ntandu, Meru District Education Officer, Tanzania, and Dr. Samuel Marigat , Teachers Service Commission County Director, Kenya.
• Learning Teams for Foundational Learning (Aug 13): The Learning Teams session, moderated by LGI Champion Teopista Birungi Mayanja , focused on collaborations that bolster children's learning outcomes.? East African organizations shared examples of how learning teams and the middle tier are being strategically and pragmatically harnessed for successful outcomes in localized contexts.

• Approaches in Delivery: What the Evidence Suggests (Aug 14): This session featured presentations by Ken Opalo and Deborah Kimathi , moderated by myself. The lively discussion shared research on delivery approaches in Tanzania and beyond introduced the Delivery Toolkit, designed to guide countries in implementing effective education strategies. The audience concluded that while data driven Delivery Approaches can align stakeholder incentives and harness data effectively, they should be viewed as tools to focus attention on national priorities with accountability and outcomes rather than complete solutions to systemic educational issues.

For many of us, it was a homecoming as members of multiple platforms of south-south coalitions for foundational learning, assessments, and actions, such as the People’s Action for Learning ( PAL Network ) and the South-South Program coordinated by Zizi Afrique Foundation and ITA. It was a great reunion to revitalize our common mission and accelerate actions by leveraging strategic partnerships for quality, inclusion, and lifelong learning for all.

Collaboration is the key to transforming education in Africa. Together, we can achieve more than we ever could alone.

Each session at the conference resonated with a systems-wide engagement for accelerating SDG 4 targets in various contexts. The centrality of the “Learning Child” remained our moral and operational compass as we explored optimal investment through partnerships and strategic work with governments, planners, networks, and CSOs working at scale.

In 2024, East Africa is more committed than ever to achieving SDG 4 targets, ensuring quality education for all.

The EAC Inaugural Conference in Arusha was an enviable milestone for Sub-Saharan Africa and the global community. Amidst a strong community of practice, it was a privilege to represent LGI as a Champion, promoting our findings, sharing evidence, and engaging with new partnerships. This Arusha experience transported me to another era, from 1967 to 2024, echoing the messages of decolonization, localization, and people-driven reforms. I was undoubtedly experiencing a milestone in the run-up to #SDG 2030 acceleration, where Regional Movements become Global and Local Calls to Action, crafting intentional roles as a learner, amplifier, matchmaker, and co-creator.

What Works Hub for Global Education Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office RELI AFRICA PAL Network