Malawi Champions Foundational Learning at UK Parliament Ahead of Education World Forum
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On 7 May 2026, the Malawi High Commission to the United Kingdom took centre stage at one of the most significant education policy gatherings on the international calendar. His Excellency Thomas Bisika, Malawi's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, delivered the opening statement at Financing Education for a Shared Purpose — a high-level breakfast meeting hosted at the UK Parliament in London.
The event was convened by the Council for Education in the Commonwealth, the International Parliamentary Network for Education (IPNEd), RESULTS UK, and Save the Children, and was held in the lead-up to the prestigious Education World Forum (EWF). The gathering brought together parliamentarians, policymakers, and education advocates united by a shared commitment to improving learning outcomes across the Commonwealth and beyond.
Malawi's Voice on the Global Stage
In his opening statement, H.E. Bisika spoke with clarity and conviction about the challenges and opportunities facing African education systems. He reaffirmed that foundational learning — the ability of every child to read, write, and perform basic numeracy — remains the cornerstone of human capital development and long-term socio-economic transformation.
"Across Africa, the challenge is no longer identifying what works, but ensuring effective, system-wide implementation," he stated, calling on partners to move beyond fragmented, short-term approaches toward coherent, sustained investment in education systems.
The High Commissioner outlined Malawi's commitment to four core pillars: scaling evidence-based interventions such as structured pedagogy and targeted instruction; strengthening early childhood education to ensure school readiness; enhancing teacher effectiveness through sustained professional development; and improving data systems to guide policy and accountability.
FLEX 2026: Malawi Welcomes Africa to Lilongwe
A centrepiece of the High Commissioner's address was Malawi's role as host of the third edition of the Africa Foundational Learning Exchange (FLEX 2026), to be held in Lilongwe from 15–17 July 2026. Building on the foundations laid by Sierra Leone in 2023 and Rwanda in 2024, FLEX has grown into a truly African-led platform grounded in shared experience, evidence, and practical problem-solving.
Under the theme "From commitments to results: Delivering foundational learning at scale," FLEX 2026 will bring together policymakers, thought leaders, development partners, implementers, and other education actors to catalyse the scaling of evidence-based interventions. It represents an opportunity for African governments, civil society, and international partners to align their efforts around interventions that deliver real, measurable improvements in learning outcomes — and to accelerate progress toward ending learning poverty across the continent.
Financing Education: A Call for Alignment
With global financing landscapes shifting, H.E. Bisika used the platform to stress the importance of domestic resource mobilisation, efficient use of available funds, and the alignment of external support with government-led national priorities. He called for robust accountability mechanisms — including the FLEX Monitoring Framework, the Foundational Learning Action Tracker, and the African Union's scorecard — to ensure that commitments translate into results.
His message was direct: financing education for shared purpose means making every dollar count, measured not by inputs, but by learning outcomes.
A Moment of Diplomatic Significance
H.E. Bisika was received by Mr Stephen Twigg, Chair of the Council for Education in the Commonwealth, and Mr Joseph Nhan-O'Reilly, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the International Parliamentary Network for Education — a reception that underscores the growing recognition of Malawi's leadership role in shaping the African education agenda.
For the Malawi High Commission in London, this engagement reflects a broader diplomatic mission: to amplify Malawi's voice in multilateral spaces, forge meaningful partnerships, and ensure that Malawi's development priorities resonate at the highest levels of international policy-making.
Looking Ahead
As Malawi prepares to welcome delegates to Lilongwe for FLEX 2026 from 15–17 July, the High Commission remains committed to championing education as both a fundamental human right and a strategic development priority. The summit promises to be a defining moment — not just for Malawi, but for foundational learning across Africa.
For more information on FLEX 2026 or the work of the Malawi High Commission in London, please visit our official website or follow us on our social media channels.