The Role of School Leaders in Strengthening FLN | School Leadership Matters Summit 2025

How do school leaders drive foundational learning amid limited resources, multilingual classrooms, and testing pressures? Hear powerful stories of innovation and persistence from across the Global South. Watch Sambhrant Srivastava (Associate Project Director, Central Square Foundation) moderate a compelling conversation featuring Clio Dintilhac (Senior Program Officer, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation), Kwizera Andrew (Inter School Peer Learning Officer, Rwanda Basic Education Board), Todd Pugatch (Associate Professor of Economics, University at Buffalo), and Suvarna Latha (School Leader, India) as they share practical strategies and evidence on how school leaders are advancing foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) in challenging contexts.

The School Leadership Matters Summit 2025, co-convened by Global School Leaders and UNESCO GEM Report, brought together school leaders, practitioners, policymakers, researchers, NGOs, philanthropists, and others to explore how empowering school leaders transforms education. With 9 sessions across 3 days, 30+ speakers discussed the critical role of leadership in advancing early childhood education, foundational learning, and gender equity across the Global South.

Held virtually from November 4th to 6th, 2025, the summit bridged the gap between global data and lived experience, centering voices from Latin America, Africa, and Asia.

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