Despite Uganda’s efforts to increase learners’ literacy and numeracy levels and life skills with the introduction of a thematic curriculum, a 2021 learning assessment of primary school learners carried out by Uwezo and by the National Assessment for Progress in Education showed a decline in literacy and numeracy outcomes. For example, the majority of learners in grade 5 could not read a short story; and only 41 per cent of children master basic numeracy by the end of primary school (Uwezo, 2021). The COVID-19 pandemic has aggravated Uganda’s generalised ‘learning poverty’, with Kasese district in Rwenzori performing below average.
With financial support from the Hempel Foundation, VVOB works directly with the MoES to implement the Teaching at the Right Level methodology in the Rwenzori region, which has been proven in other countries that within a short period of time, can help learners to catch up quickly on foundational numeracy and literacy skills.
Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) is a remedial learning methodology originally designed by Pratham, an Indian NGO, and focused on foundational numeracy and literacy skills that is fun, easy to understand, effective and evidence-based.
Teachers and school leaders are equipped with remedial teaching methodologies to ensure that all learners achieve the necessary skills in numeracy and literacy to thrive later in school or when they join the workforce.
In this informative short video, learners and teachers share their experiences on how TaRL has helped them overcome the learning challenges arising from the COVID-19 related school closures.
The TaRL support system entails a team of Master trainers (tutors of primary teachers’ colleges, PTCs, associate assessors, District inspector of schools, DIS, and VVOB staff), school leaders (head teachers and deputies) and schoolteachers. TaRL Africa trains the master trainers who then train the teachers and later offer mentoring support at the school level. Deputy headteachers are also trained to offer mentoring support to the TaRL teachers strengthening the support system for teachers’ professional development. Teachers are also provided with contextualized teaching and learning support materials to support their TaRL lessons. Over 371 teachers from 80 schools will be trained in the TaRL methodology and will be delivering TaRL lessons to approximately 20,000 learners in P3 to P5.
Teachers deliver TaRL lessons after conducting a one-on-one assessment of the learners who are lagging in the classroom, grouping them according to their learning levels, and teach them using simple and fun TaRL activities. As learners improve on their competency in numeracy and literacy, they quickly progress to the next level without rigorous assessment. With the help of the teachers and mentors, VVOB conducts TaRL assessments before the start of a TaRL intervention, in the middle and at the end. This helps determine the extent to which learning outcomes are being achieved and the kind of support that teachers, mentors, and master trainers might require to improve on the TaRL methodology.
TaRL in Rwenzori region contributes to SDG 4’s overall goal; and also to sub-targets 4.1, (free) quality primary education leads to relevant and effective learning outcomes; and 4.6, all youth achieve literacy and numeracy.
