Foundational Learning Compact (FLC)

The Accelerator Program helps to strengthen the country's capacity to design and implement effective foundational learning programs to reduce learning poverty. The model includes: 

• Developing country-specific learning targets.

• Preparing a costed investment case to meet those targets.

• Strengthening implementation capacity.

Launched in 2020 by the World Bank and UNICEF, with support from the Gates Foundation, UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), UNESCO Institute for Statistics, and USAID.  

The initial cohort includes Brazil (state of Ceará), Ecuador, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria (Edo State), Pakistan, Rwanda, and Sierra Leone. 

Building on the strengths of the original program, Accelerator 2.0 started last year. This next phase aims to further unlock progress in foundational learning by providing technical and grant support to a broader set of countries (Central African Republic, Côte d'Ivoire, Eswatini, Ghana, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, and Sierra Leone).

The FLC supports key Learning Measurement and Data activities under three workstreams: 

• Learning Assessment: Focuses on supporting the production of learning data through quality learning assessments and strengthening learning assessment systems. This workstream included various types of products and activates related to Policy Linking, Assessments for Minimum Proficiency Levels (AMPL), National Learning Assessments (NLA), and Cross-National Learning Assessments. 

The new Accelerating Learning Measurement for Action (ALMA) program will mainly support this workstream in Djibouti, Ghana, Guyana, Kyrgyz Republic, Lao PDR, Malawi, Mali, Nepal, Regional Carribean, Sao Tome and Principe, Somalia, and Tanzania. 

• Learning Data Analytics: Focuses on compiling, harmonizing, and disseminating learning data, developing indicators, tools, and analytics, and supporting coordinating and delivery of data literacy capacity building with country teams and governments. 

• Drivers of Learning: Focuses on the Global Education Policy Dashboard (GEPD). 

• The Dashboard collects data on the practice, policy, and political level factors enabling an analysis of the de jure and de facto status of what drives learning. Specific attention is given to their impact on policy dialogue and on learning outcomes. 

• The GEPD has been measuring, tracking, and linking the progress of key drivers of learning outcomes in basic education using three data collection instruments since 2019. 

Teachers are the most important in-school factor for student learning. To build strong systems that support the teacher career pathway, the World Bank has undertaken multiple initiatives to strengthen the teaching profession and raise teaching quality. 

The FLC has supported this work through the following programs:

• The Global Coach Program: The program aims to help countries design, implement, and evaluate high-quality teacher professional development programs and systems that align with global evidence to complement World Bank financed projects. 

• The Coach Mozambique Program: This program is a country pilot of the Coach program launched in 2022 that adapts its tools and resources to the specific country context. 

• The Teach-Coach Scaling-Up National Support for Effective Teaching (SUNSET) Grants: These grants enable the implementation of activities related to measuring classroom observations (for example, using Teach) or teacher professional development (for example, using the Coach program tools and resources), adapted to country contexts.
  
  

24 countries (Pakistan, India, Romania, Djibouti, Somalia, Tanzania, Uzbekistan, Cameroon, Mexico, Burundi, El Salvador, Honduras, Cote d’Ivoire, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Indonesia, Cabo Verde, Armenia, Algeria, Morocco, Brazil, Central African Republic, Eswatini, and Nepal) were awarded Teach-Coach SUNSET grants totaling almost $5.5 million 

The EdTech Hub is a global research partnership that generates and facilitates access to the evidence needed to make decisions about effective use of technology. It is supported by FCDO, the Gates Foundation, UNICEF, and the World Bank among others. 

• The main elements of the partnership between the EdTech Hub and the World Bank are the Hub’s provision of technical assistance to World Bank staff through the Helpdesk, the annual development of joint knowledge products, and the World Bank’s provision of strategic guidance through its participation on the Hub’s Executive Committee and Strategic Advisory Board. 

• Since April 2020, the World Bank has had 48 active requests for support. 

The Education Policy Academy equips World Bank staff and clients with knowledge and skills for designing and implementing education policies.

• The Academy focuses on foundational learning, literacy, inclusive education, teacher development, education technology, and early childhood education.

• It draws on lessons from the EdTech Policy Academy to expand offerings and improve program delivery.

Launched in February 2024 to help governments integrate refugee children into national education systems. It supports the commitments made at the 2023 Global Refugee Forum to increase refugee school access rates by 2027.

Two main pillars of activities: 

• Global Knowledge, and Capacity Development:

• Wilton Park: Refugee Inclusion in Education Systems (November 2024)
• Launching Guide to Refugee Inclusion in National Education Systems (March 2025)
• INSPIRE Education Policy and Learning Exchange in Zambia (May 2025)

• Country Grants- Burundi, South Sudan, Jordan, Zambia, Rwanda, Lebanon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, Benin, Chad, Ethiopia, Colombia, Mauritania, Armenia, and Poland.

Launched in April 2024 in partnership with the What Works Hub for Global Education (WWHGE) at Oxford University.

It embeds implementation science research into World Bank projects to strengthen education system reforms and delivery. The program supports the development of global knowledge on implementation science and its role in improving learning outcomes.

The program is being implemented in Botswana, Ghana, Rwanda, and Nigeria.

The Bangladesh Secondary Education Program focuses on building a stronger post-COVID secondary education system. 
Key priorities include:

• Protecting and improving key skills.

• Enhancing teacher performance.

• Increasing student retention, particularly for girls. 

• Supporting evidence-based decision-making and data use.