Children enjoy a fun icebreaker during a TaRL session in Côte d’Ivoire. Photo: TaRL Africa

2022 has been a significant year in the education sector as it marks the resumption of near normal levels of education after months of school disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. It also marks the year when the global community convened the Transforming Education Summit in response to a global crisis in education. Six action points were developed during this summit, including one dear to TaRL Africa: to ensure foundational learning as a key element to transforming education.

This year, TaRL programming continued to grow in size and scale. For instance, the number of children who have gone through a full cycle of a TaRL programme in Africa reached 3.4 million in nine countries in 2022. We also observed strong learning outcomes in foundational literacy and numeracy for TaRL Africa and partner-implemented programmes. These included 16 to 32 percentage point improvements in the number of children who could at least read a paragraph and solve a subtraction problem. With these results, we see TaRL as one of the strongest solutions to ending learning poverty on the African continent.

So, what are we looking forward to in the new year?

At TaRL Africa we are excited that most countries are resuming their normal calendar of education. The full school year takes a step toward the education sector’s recovery from the effects of Covid-19. Next year TaRL programming will be scaled up to more than 8000 schools across Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, and Zambia through government-led programmes. In addition, we are gearing up to effect our new partnership strategy and model. The overall goal of this new strategy is to have more effective and efficient partner engagement that leverages existing networks and capacities to take us further toward our goal of improving the learning outcomes of children at a large scale. Part of this strategy includes deepening our support to build technical capacity across the continent. This includes launching the first TaRL Africa Fellowship programme, which aims to nurture the development of a cadre of regional leaders of practice in Sub-Saharan Africa.

We are tremendously proud of the work that has been achieved to date by the TaRL community, but much more is needed to ensure that all children have any opportunity to acquire foundational skills across the continent. We remain committed to this mission and are excited for what can be achieved alongside our partners in 2023.

On behalf of all our colleagues at TaRL Africa, I wish you all a joyful holiday season.

To recover from dramatic learning losses, and to ensure quality education throughout life, there is a need for foundational learning.

Currently, in low- and middle-income countries, an estimated seven out of every ten children suffer from learning poverty: they cannot read and understand a simple text by the age of ten. According to a 2021 learning assessment by Uwezo dubbed ‘Are all our Children Learning?’, only two in five grade four learners are at least meeting the expectations in reading a grade three appropriate English text in Kenya. Simply put, many 10-year-olds would not be able to read this article.

Evidence suggests that if a child does not learn basic literacy and numeracy skills in the early grades of primary school, they get left behind in the higher grades—no matter how many years they spend in school. Yet, in middle to upper primary school, most curricula move away from building foundational skills, so children who have not grasped these skills do not have the opportunity to catch up. But all is not lost for these children, as there exist simple and cost-effective solutions that would bring them up to speed with their peers. Foundational learning is reading with comprehension and doing basic math calculations like solving addition and subtraction problems. Foundational learning provides the building blocks for all other learning and is critical to enabling all children to reach their full potential and participate in society.

Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, learning inequalities existed, especially among marginalized and poor children, girls, children with disabilities, and children in conflict and crises. The pandemic heightened this crisis with the extended school closures, only increasing an already dire situation.

Kenya has been a champion for global efforts toward attaining the 2030 target for the fourth Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), which aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. In addition to increasing school enrolment to 92.4 percent as of the 2019 economic survey, the country has endorsed the 2021 Call to Action on Domestic financing and actioned its recommendations by dedicating 26 percent of its national budget to the education sector.

This commitment, however, needs to be augmented with practical and concrete action and evidence-based plans that advance accelerated learning and recovery of the lost learning time as a result of Covid-19 school closures. The Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) approach has been implemented and scaled up in several African countries, including some parts of Kenya, and has proved to help learners to catch up on foundational learning. Pioneered by Pratham, one of India’s largest education NGOs, and now being implemented by various actors in Africa, the approach is known to transform learning outcomes within a short period of time.

TaRL zeroes in on classroom practices, enabling and motivating teachers to ensure all students attain basic literacy and numeracy skills. TaRL assesses children using a simple testing tool at the classroom level and then groups them according to their learning level rather than their age or grade, creating an environment where level-appropriate content is quickly learned. For a period of the day, children in middle-upper primary focus on foundational skills using a specific accelerated learning methodology, providing children with an opportunity to catch up. Recently the Global Education Evidence Advisory Panel identified the TaRL approach as a “good buy” in their advice on cost-effective approaches to improving global learning.

To transform foundational learning, the Ministry of Education will need to take urgent and decisive action to ensure all children, including the most vulnerable and marginalized, develop basic reading, writing, and numeracy skills. This will involve buy-in, increasing access to remedial and catch-up learning initiatives such as TaRL, and supporting teachers with the necessary training to deliver targeted instruction.

Since the government has made great progress on universal enrolment, it now needs to focus on the quality of education by assessing learning levels regularly and prioritizing teaching the fundamentals.

A TaRL classroom in Kenya. Credit TaRL Africa

Many children in sub-Saharan Africa who are enrolled in primary school do not learn the most basic literacy and numeracy skills. These skills include reading, writing, and performing simple mathematics like additions and subtraction. Emerging data shows that this inequality in learning has been further exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic deepening concern about an already worsening learning crisis. The World Bank and UNESCO’s Institute of Statistics determined that 53 percent of children in low- and middle-income countries cannot read and understand a simple story by the end of primary school. For example, in its 2018  report, ‘Learning to Realize Education’s Promise,’ the World Bank noted that in Ghana and Malawi 80 percent of students in grade two could not read a simple word.

Additionally, over 50 percent of grade two children in Kenya could not perform a two-digit subtraction.  In most contexts, children in grade two should be able to read short sentences or phrases and add numbers up to 20. Lost learning that takes root in the earliest years of children’s lives fails to narrow in the following years. Children who start behind stay behind—they can rarely catch up.

The high inequality in learning levels in the classroom is due to many reasons. For one, a one-size-fits-all curriculum prevalent in many education systems in Africa and elsewhere fails to address individual learner needs, such as learners who fail to master basic concepts. These learners are usually labeled as ‘slow’ or ‘poor’ performers, while we now know from research that a different teaching approach can often help them catch up quickly and progress further.

Secondly, due to a very high student-to-teacher ratio, many teachers cannot address the demands of all the children in the classroom and often focus on top performers. Teachers often lack the training or permission to veer from the curriculum, which in most instances is also overstuffed. All the while, as most schools grapple with a lack of essential resources such as textbooks or classrooms.

Other reasons for inequality in learning levels include teaching in a language unfamiliar to the learner. The first language for most young learners is their mother tongue which is the language spoken by a child at home. Children in most African schools are taught new, unfamiliar concepts in a foreign language such as English or French. Research has shown that teaching in a language the child speaks and understands is effective. Data from the Southern and Eastern Africa Consortium for Monitoring and Educational Quality showed that local language instruction leads to strong learning outcomes, especially in reading. But this again is not the reality in many classrooms as mother tongue is frowned upon and discouraged.

Also, a classroom is usually heterogeneous even to begin with. Some children may have been exposed to some form of education in their early years, making it easier for them to learn than for those without access. Pre-primary education, as we know, sets a strong foundation for learning. But access to early childhood education has been slow and inequitable across and within countries. Worldwide, vulnerable children are disproportionately excluded from quality pre-primary education – even though it can significantly impact them. A report by Uwezo Kenya, a non-profit organization that focuses on basic education and learning outcomes, showed that learners from P3-P7 who attended preschool for two years or more have a higher competency in reading and mathematics than those who did not. Likewise, some children are from homes where their parents are involved in their education, and this supports impacts on learning outcomes. All these factors considered create an unequal learning environment in the classroom.

More significant investments in accelerated learning programs can narrow the gap for children who fall behind. These programs must prioritize teaching to the child’s current learning level instead of grade or age. This investment is critical because all children have different learning needs. Interventions focused on foundational learning—implemented by the government —can lead to improved learning for all children. One such intervention is the Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) approach. TaRL is a unique intervention for accelerated learning that supports children who would have otherwise been left behind to learn and thrive. Pioneered by Pratham, an Indian NGO, the approach that has now been piloted in several African countries, including Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, and Zambia, has revealed that learning outcomes improved with three months of accelerated learning focused on foundational skills through the support of TaRL Africa. TaRL evaluates children using a simple assessment tool and then groups them according to learning level rather than age or grade. Each group is taught using appropriate fun/play activities and materials, starting from what the child already knows. In Nigeria, for instance, the percentage of children who could read a simple English word increased by 30 percentage points after only 114 hours (on average) of participating in a TaRL pilot.

Schools can ensure that children are never too far behind by targeting teaching to what learners already know. TaRL has provided evidence that by relieving the constraint of poorly targeted instruction, children’s learning can improve significantly. Furthermore, this type of teaching can reduce classroom inequality, enabling teachers to better cater to more homogenous classes. The Global Education Evidence Advisory Panel calls for governments to adjust how children are taught by assessing students’ learning, focusing on the foundational skills, and implementing catch-up programs. Without foundational learning, students often fail to thrive later in school and subsequently when they join the workforce.

Children in a TaRL classroom in Côte d’Ivoire. Photo: TaRL Africa

 

Education is the key to the future and a fundamental right for all children. Growing up in a rural area in Kenya, education offered other learners and me the opportunity to expand our worldview. We could dream of becoming architects, doctors, and diplomats in communities where such careers hardly existed. Still, many barriers existed for us that affected our access to quality education.

The International Day of Education is celebrated on January 24 to advocate for and promote the importance of improving access to quality education. The theme for this year is “Changing Course, Transforming Education,” which focuses on the need to nurture transformations to allow access to education for all and help build sustainable futures. To attain the Sustainable Development Goals, educators will need to adapt to new forms of teaching and learning. Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) is one such initiative that is making transformative changes to learning systems across Africa by supporting governments and partners to equip children with basic reading and math skills. TaRL is an approach that evaluates children using a simple assessment tool and then groups them according to learning level rather than age or grade. Each group is taught using level-appropriate activities and materials. We ensure that children’s learning comes first when designing and delivering the approach. We also use data and research to inform our programs, promoting a culture of continuous learning and improvement in the countries implementing the TaRL approach.

As the world marks this day, it is as important as ever to think about the learning crisis, which was already festering before and further aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the World Bank Report, “Learning to Realize Education’s Promise,” millions of children across Africa are failing to master even basic reading and math skills. For example, over 60% of Grade 2 students in Ghana and Uganda and over 50% in Kenya could not perform two-digit subtraction in 2017.

Transforming education and changing the course of education to focus on all children learning will first require Governments to think of innovative ways to reduce education inequalities that shift education systems towards learning progress rather than curriculum completion. Education stakeholders and donors must support the government to effectively and efficiently improve learning outcomes through various training and mentoring methods.

Second, we also need to focus on those left behind and find innovative ways to ensure that all learners catch up through adopting result-based instructional techniques such as TaRL and prioritize simple and regular one-on-one assessments that teachers can use to determine the relevant activities for each child.

Third, innovations in education must be introduced as a collaborative effort to garner adequate adoption and support. Education stakeholders should collaborate on innovations during the planning, investment, and implementation phases to customize programs and help determine scalability.

Quality education transforms lives and societies and addresses many equity and social issues. Education is associated with improved life outcomes, including income, health, and opportunity. Education can promote innovation, reduce socioeconomic inequalities, and strengthen institutions. Quality education and learning are essential if Africa is to leverage and empower its young and dynamic population. Happy International Day of Education.

A teacher demonstrates a math activity to whole class during a Catch Up (TaRL) session in Zambia. Photo: Catch Up Program, VVOB and TaRL Africa. 

 

For many children in Africa, research shows that most of those who attend school are not acquiring the basic skills necessary for learning. The COVID- 19 pandemic further exacerbated the learning crisis due to extended school closures as a measure to prevent the spread of the virus. In fact, according to the World Bank, learning levels across the region are alarmingly low. Among second-grade students in several Sub-Saharan African countries, three-quarters cannot count beyond 80 and 40 percent cannot do a one-digit addition problem. In reading, between 50 and 80 percent of children in the second grade cannot answer a single question based on a short passage they had read, and a large proportion cannot read even a single word. Although this research alludes to the year before the pandemic, my experiences leading an education program, Teaching at the Right Level Africa, shows that the statistics are just as grim today.

The reality is that for many children access to remote learning tools such as digital devices and home based learning support during the pandemic is limited because of various reasons such as poverty, low education levels among parents and guardians, long working hours, and other competing priorities in the home. Therefore, as education actors call for more support for learners at home and recognize the role of parents in their children’s education, teachers continue to play a primary role in imparting knowledge and skills. Teachers will play a crucial role in the recovery phase post-COVID-19. Of utmost importance will be to focus on ensuring foundational learning such as reading, number recognition, and basic operations, especially in early grades. Children cannot progress in learning without mastering the basics first. Studies show that poor learning results emerge early and accumulate over time. Often, children who miss key concepts in literacy and numeracy in the early grades never have a chance to catch up, no matter how many years they spend in school.

Many school systems cling to over-stuffed curriculums and outdated teaching methods. Teachers lack the training or permission to be innovative or to veer from the course set by textbooks. My experience is that when teachers are allowed to deliver innovative learning approaches targeted to meet individual learners’ needs, the result has always been an improvement in learning outcomes for the children. One such approach is a technique that has been pioneered for over two decades by Pratham, called Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) which uses easy oral tests to sort children into groups that match their learning levels rather than their age. TaRL is supporting governments and partners to address the learning crisis in Africa through evidence that has been studied for years by researchers from the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The children gather for one hour each day to practice either maths or reading using fun and creative activities.

Teachers must advocate for training to deliver quality education that draws on flexible methods, digital technologies, and modernized curricula and approaches that prepare children for the modern world where more self-learning, innovation, problem-solving, critical thinking and social skills are needed.

Governments across Africa must take bold steps to allow flexible delivery of education methods that include innovative approaches to learning and sustained support for teachers. As the world focuses on COVID-19 recovery we need education – the great equalizer, to be resilient, adaptable, inclusive so that no child is left behind.