Beyond the Classroom: Preconditions for Learning in the Lake Chad Basin

By Julius Fenji Ngong, Communications Fellow, eBASE Africa.

When conversations about education improvement arise, attention usually zooms in on the classroom: better teachers, stronger curricula, sharper assessments or the latest technologies. Yet, mounting evidence reveals that the journey of learning starts long before a child ever sits at a desk. 

UNESCO describes good health and nutrition as "foundations for learning"; Ready to learn and thrive: school health and nutrition around the world 2023 (UNESCO 2023), noting that healthy, well-nourished children are more likely to attend school, participate actively in lessons and achieve better learning outcomes. Yet millions of children, particularly in low-income and crisis-affected settings, continue to face barriers such as hunger, insecurity and poor health that limit their ability to learn before the school day even begins.  

These questions were at the centre of Episode 2 of the eBASE Learning Series, where researchers, policymakers and practitioners came together to discuss the findings of the recently published study, Preconditions for Learning in the Lake Chad Basin (Fotso et al.2026). Rather than asking only how children learn, the webinar explored a more fundamental question:  

Are children arriving at school ready to learn?  

Drawing on evidence from Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria, the study found that the greatest barriers to learning are often not found in textbooks or classrooms. Instead, they are rooted in children's everyday realities: hunger, long and unsafe journeys to school, inadequate learning environments, poor teacher welfare and the effects of conflict and poverty. The study argues that meaningful progress in tackling learning poverty requires education systems to move beyond purely pedagogical reforms and invest in the basic conditions that make learning possible.  

As lead author Claude Fotso observed during the webinar:  

"Securing these preconditions is what moves the region from educational survival to sustainable attainment."  

His presentation showed that, despite each country in the Lake Chad Basin facing its own unique hurdles, shared priorities shine through. Investing in school meals, supporting teachers, ensuring safe journeys to school and creating secure spaces for learning are not just acts of charity; they are powerful tools for transforming education. 

This conclusion resonates with global evidence. UNESCO's Ready to Learn and Thrive (UNESCO 2023) report highlights that school health and nutrition programs improve attendance, reduce absenteeism and create conditions that allow children to learn and thrive. The report argues that learner well-being should be placed at the heart of education systems, particularly in contexts where children face multiple vulnerabilities.  

While the research offered a regional perspective, the panel brought these findings to life through stories and firsthand experience. 

For Samba Lydie, a primary school teacher at the Government Bilingual Primary School Akono, Centre Region, Cameroon, the barriers described in the study are visible every day. She spoke about learners who arrive tired after walking several kilometres to school, children who struggle to concentrate because they have not eaten, and the need for teachers to adapt their methods to keep learners engaged.  

Her approach is both inventive and compassionate. She transforms lessons into songs, weaves movement into the day, and listens closely to what her students might be facing outside school. Her story reminds us that true teaching starts not with a lesson plan, but with seeing and understanding each child. 

The conversation also highlighted that improving learning cannot be the responsibility of schools alone.  

Speaking from his experience supporting education in crisis-affected communities, Ngwang Roland, Education in Emergency Specialist, Plan International Cameroon, stressed that education must be viewed alongside health, nutrition, child protection, and psychosocial support.  

"A child who is hungry, traumatised, unsafe or exhausted cannot fully benefit from even the best teaching practices."  

His message echoed one of the webinar’s most powerful themes: children’s lives are not divided into neat categories. Hunger, insecurity, poverty and emotional well-being are tightly linked, and our responses must be just as connected. 

This integrated approach is increasingly reflected in international evidence. UNESCO and its partners argue that effective school health and nutrition programs require coordinated action across education, health and social protection systems, recognising that children's well-being is fundamental to their ability to learn.  

Throughout the discussion, speakers emphasised the importance of strengthening the relationship between research and decision-making. Evidence should not end with publication; it should inform investments, shape reforms and guide innovations that respond to the realities children face.  

As Dr Tangang Andrew Tangang noted:  

"Government should also listen to the voice of researchers, test emerging innovations, and use the data to feed future innovations. Hence, the policy–research nexus."  

This call for evidence-driven policy echoed through the webinar’s recommendations. Participants urged more investment in school meals and safe transport to boost attendance and learning, and called for stronger support for teachers through ongoing training, better working conditions and improved well-being. 

The discussion also underscored the power of child-centred approaches that unite education, health, nutrition, psychosocial support and child protection. Speakers emphasised that lasting progress depends on deeper collaboration among researchers, policymakers and practitioners, more community involvement in schools, and ongoing investment in research and innovation so that education policies truly reflect children’s lives. 

These priorities signal a bigger change in how we think about learning. Raising learning outcomes is not just about better lessons; it is about building a world where children are healthy, safe, supported and eager to learn, and where teachers, communities and leaders have the resources and knowledge to help them thrive. 

If we are serious about improving learning outcomes, perhaps the first question should not be "What should children learn?"  

Instead, it should be:  

Have we created the conditions that allow every child to learn? 

Watch the webinar recording here: