VoxDev Development Economics S6 Ep23: Why we need to invest in foundational learning
Jun 11, 2025
Ben Piper, the Director of Global Education at the Gates Foundation, discusses critical challenges in education at the Education World Forum. He highlights that foundational learning is essential amid global funding cuts, offering cost-effective solutions. Piper emphasizes that increased attendance doesn't guarantee better learning, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa and India. He calls for urgent policy changes and investment in resources, stressing collaboration between governments and philanthropic organizations to foster strong educational outcomes.
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Dyslexia vs Lack of Instruction
- Ben Piper shares his personal experience with his daughter who struggled with dyslexia despite having supportive parents.
- He compares this to many children in Sub-Saharan Africa who lack the right instructional support to meet basic learning benchmarks.
Empower Existing Teachers
- Support existing teachers with better instructional materials and training instead of replacing them.
- Provide structured pedagogy programs with workbooks and teacher guides to improve learning at scale in early grades.
High ROI of Foundational Learning
- Foundational learning programs offer three times better learning impact at one hundredth the cost per student than typical US programs.
- Moving kids to high-quality instruction can increase GDP per capita by 2%, showing high economic returns.