29 June 2026 | Dakar, Senegal
Three AFEP researchers shared findings on language of instruction, double-shift schooling, and socio-emotional skills at the 2026 Yidan Prize Conference in Dakar, showing how classroom evidence can inform continental policy.
Panellists discuss the future of education in Africa at the 2026 Yidan Prize Conference.
Three researchers from the Africa Fellows in Education Program (AFEP) presented their findings and recommendations to leading education economists and policymakers at the inaugural 2026 Yidan Prize Conference in Dakar, Senegal.
Yselle Flora Malah Kuete (University of Yaoundé II, Cameroon) examined how the similarity between children's home languages and the language of instruction influences early literacy. Her findings showed that children learn more effectively when classroom languages sound more like those spoken at home, particularly in rural areas, highlighting opportunities to strengthen multilingual education policies.
Amadou Jallow (University of The Gambia) examined the effects of double-shift schooling, showing that while the approach has expanded access to education, it can also reduce learning outcomes, particularly for girls. His research highlighted the importance of balancing increased access with sustained investment in education quality.
Heleen Hofmeyr (Stellenbosch University, South Africa) examined how children's socio-emotional skills at school entry influence later literacy and mathematics achievement. Her findings underscored the importance of embedding socio-emotional learning in early childhood education to strengthen foundational learning.
Dr Ramaele Moshoeshoe, Executive Director of the Africa Fellows in Education Program, said the roundtable demonstrated the value of bringing local and continental evidence into the same discussion:
“Our roundtable, From Classroom to Continent: Taking Research to Policy, did something I care about deeply: it put three AFEP Fellows’ classroom-level findings—on language, access, and socio-emotional readiness—in direct conversation with the continent-scale Africa Human Capital Data Sheet of Prof. Wolfgang Lutz, a fellow Yidan Laureate on the panel, and with ministers and funders in the audience.
“That is research meeting policy in real time, and it made the AFEP thesis concrete: the most relevant evidence for African education systems is produced by African researchers studying their own contexts. The significance wasn’t a single finding; it was the demonstration that this pipeline works and that it deserves to be permanent.”
Held from 29 June to 1 July, the conference brought together policymakers, researchers, practitioners, and development partners to explore how education can unlock Africa’s development potential.
The AFEP roundtable, From Classroom to Continent: Taking Research to Policy, formed part of the conference programme showcasing research and practice with the potential to strengthen education systems across the continent.
Co-led by 2021 Yidan Prize for Education Research laureate Prof. Eric Hanushek and 2024 laureate Prof. Wolfgang Lutz, the session explored how continent-wide human capital data and locally generated evidence can complement one another in education planning and policymaking.
The discussion emphasised that strengthening Africa’s human capital requires both a clear understanding of the scale of the challenges facing education systems and rigorous local evidence on what works, for whom, and under which circumstances.
The session concluded with a fireside discussion and audience dialogue involving researchers, policymakers, ministers, and funders. Participants considered how the evidence presented could support stronger education planning, policy decisions, and long-term investment in Africa’s human capital.
