“Once a student is able to read and write - the sky is the limit”, shares Harry Kamboni MP

• Hon. Harry Kamboni MP, Chair of the Committee on Education, Science and Technology in Zambia, shares remarks at the 3rd edition of the Africa Foundational Learning Exchange (FLEX 2026) in Lilongwe, Malawi.

• Hon. Kamboni outlines the work he has done to conduct the first parliamentary inquiry of its kind in Africa on foundational learning.

• Hon. Kamboni argues parliaments play a big role in improving financing, the provision of books and support for teachers, and ensuring oversight of government actions - all to improve foundational literacy and numeracy for children in primary school.

Video transcript as delivered:

Hi, my name is Harry Kamboni, Member of Parliament from Kalomo Central in Zambia. 

I want to comment on foundational learning, though it’s a pity I'm unable to attend the FLEX 2026 Conference because of reasons beyond my control. 

Now, as Members of Parliament, we can play actually a very big role in improving foundational learning. 

My observation has been that in many countries in Africa, foundational learning is now in a crisis. We have children learning for 4 years, and they're not able to write their name. They're not able to read. They're not able to write. So, I think then, something's not right because you can't have a child going to school for 4 years and is not able to read and write. 

I did some serious research in my own constituency, where I went to one school and there were about 1,500 students. Out of that, 700 up to grade four could not read and write, and they were saved by a program called Catch Up - where I'm a champion - which would bring students, mixed, Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3, Grade 4, those who can read and write together at the same level, to teach them from the same level. 

So it means, really, that foundational learning is in a crisis in Africa and particularly in my country. 

But what we did as an Education Committee, I'm the Chair of the Education Committee by the way, what we did was take a research. We took the topic this year of finding out why foundational learning was as it is, and what could be done to solve these challenges. 

So, we called more than 40 witnesses, who are the major stakeholders in the education sector and of course, culminating to the Minister of Education, the Permanent Secretary, the Curriculum Centre, the Directors, all these people involved were called - and the recipients of this education - to find the solution. 

Many made very good submissions on why foundational learning has reached such a level, and also provided solutions on what is supposed to be done. 

So what we did as a Committee on Education, we had to lobby, because the budget system in Zambia has [now changed]. We have what we call sector budget where before the budget is actually approved, Committees will sit and make suggestions, which will then create variations that are taken seriously and implemented in the budget allocation. 

So what we did was when we were at that level, we called on the Minister of Education and asked why all along foundational learning levels were getting very little money. 

They used to concentrate on secondary school, universities, colleges and so forth. But this year, for the first time, foundational learning got more money than it had ever gotten. 

So, this means now better textbooks [and] better resources for teaching. 

What, as Members of Parliament, we can also do is to make laws. In Zambia, now we have made laws through the vision of our President which has made free education compulsory.

Free education is now put by law, and any government that will come, has to offer free education but on literacy and numeracy, we have learnt a lot. We also made some recommendations to the government, which the government has to respond to this year [up] until next year, and then when they have implemented those [recommendations], that's when we're going to close all these cases. 

Parliament also can help in making sure there are laws that will protect and make those in government really pay more attention on education, foundational learning and many other areas. 

This is what we basically did as a Committee and we are still continuing. After we called all the witnesses, then the next step is to go in the field and see, and then the government has to respond to our recommendations. So, this is what we we have been able to do as a Committee.

If learners are deprived of strong foundational skills, then they will not take off, and if they don't take off all their innovation in them, will be will not be tapped. 

How does a student become creative, if he can't read and write? This is why we need to pay a lot of attention on the foundation. Any building that has the wrong foundation will collapse, the strength of the building is in the foundation, and the strength of any learner, of any academician, is the foundation. 

This is why most governments are encouraged to pay a lot of attention on foundational learning, because once a student is able to read, write, is able to understand, foundational skills are strong - then the sky is the limit. 

They will be able to be innovative. They will be able to be creative, and make things that can help society. 

But if they can't take off in the first 5 years, they will continue and they will not understand anything. They’ll go to university levels but they will not be able to be very useful to society, because their foundation was not properly done. 

This is why we need to pay a lot of attention on foundational learning. Thank you. 

I wish you all a good conference in Lilongwe. I wish I could come but I thought I should share the few things that I've experienced in foundational learning. Thank you.