Building on Solid Foundations: Prioritising Universal, Early, Conceptual and Procedural Mastery of Foundational Skills

To realise the goal of learning for all, large gains are needed. A burgeoning literature on learning profiles and outcomes suggests that to ensure all children receive a quality education, education systems will need to prioritise Universal, Early, Conceptual and Procedural Mastery of Foundational Skills (UECPMFS). Why each of these should be an education system priority, and examples of how they might be achieved, are discussed in this note. While foundational skills are not the end goal of any education system, they are critical and necessary building blocks for all other education goals and aspirations.