The global education community often frames foundational learning outcomes in Africa and elsewhere as representative of a “learning crisis.” How does that framing help or hurt? Even more importantly, what will it take to transform educational outcomes for the better across the continent and in low- and middle-income countries more broadly?
On this episode of the CGD Podcast, I’m joined by Kwame Akyeampong, Professor of International Education and Development at the Open University and CGD non-resident fellow, and Rachel Glennerster, President of the Center for Global Development. Both are members of the Global Education Evidence Advisory Panel, which commissioned the Smart Buys 2023 Report.
Together we discuss Kwame’s new book (co-authored with Sean Higgins) Reconceptualising the Learning Crisis in Africa, published in 2025. We discuss where the book and the evidence consensus agree and diverge: the framing of the learning crisis, measuring student outcomes, the language of instruction, the potential of accelerated learning programs, the role of teachers, and more.
Special thanks to Maleeha Hameed for her support on this episode.
