Global Education Evidence Advisory Panel’s (GEEAP) interdisciplinary panel of the world’s top education experts provides educators with practical recommendations to improve children’s learning.

LONDON, May 9, 2023―The new 2023 Cost-Effective Approaches to Improve Global Learning report summarizes the latest evidence on what the “smart buys”, most cost-effective interventions are for improving learning of all children in low- and middle-income countries. Launched today at the Education World Forum in London, the report is authored by the Global Education Evidence Advisory Panel (GEEAP), an independent, multidisciplinary panel of leading global experts in education evidence and policymaking that is co-hosted by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), UNICEF Office of Research-Innocenti, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and the World Bank.

The report finds that investing in parent-directed early childhood development interventions, which coach parents in how to provide early childhood stimulation, has been proven to have a significant impact on children’s future learning. The GEEAP also found strong research evidence that in low-income countries, young children who benefit from these early childhood stimulation programs can enjoy benefits that last into adulthood. For example, an early-stimulation home visiting program in Jamaica yielded substantial gains in children’s educational attainment, IQ, mental health, and earnings in adulthood – up to a 37 percent gain at age 31. The panel also identified ways to reduce delivery costs, such as providing group sessions or leveraging community health workers who are already making regular home visits.

“This matters because the education challenge remains huge – according to the World Bank, 57 percent of children living in low- and middle-income countries could not read and understand a simple age-appropriate text by the age of ten. That was before the pandemic. Now, after the pandemic, that rate is estimated to have risen to 70 percent. Moreover, low- and middle-income countries closed schools for longer, on average, than in high-income countries, leading to increasing gaps in learning outcomes. So, it is urgent to invest in interventions we know are going to work,” said Hirokazu Yoshikawa, Panel member and Professor of Globalization and Education, NYU Steinhardt.

The Panel have sifted through over 13,000 research papers, and every approach recommended in the new report has been rigorously tested in multiple countries and has been shown to work when introduced by governments at large scale. The Panel has grouped interventions into different categories based on cost and learning impact:  three approaches are ranked as “Great Buys”, five as “Good Buys”, and eight as “Promising, but Limited Evidence”.  In addition, the Panel rated two common input-focused interventions as belonging in the “Bad Buys” category: 1) investing in computer hardware, and 2) investing in other education inputs without addressing major underlying problems – such as lack of teacher training or poor system governance.  Neither of these usually lead to additional student learning.

“The COVID-19 shock compromised spending on education in many low- and lower-middle income countries.  The GEEAP report is designed to help countries maximize the impact of their education budgets by highlighting cost-effective ways to ensure every dollar spent has an impact on the experience of the student in the classroom. Otherwise, their children will not gain the knowledge and skills they need for life,” said Jaime Saavedra, Panel member and Global Director for Education at the World Bank.

Another key cost-effective recommendation highlighted in the report is support to teachers with structured pedagogy programs, which has been successful in increased learning – especially foundational literacy and numeracy – at relatively low cost in Kenya, Liberia, and South Africa. USAID’s Primary Math and Reading (PRIMR) Initiative, a structured pedagogy intervention in Kenya, produced reading fluency gains equivalent to over one full year of normal learning in Kenya, and was then scaled up across Kenya as Tusome Early Grade Reading. Early Grade Reading, a partnership between USAID and the Government of Kenya’s Ministry of Education.  Similarly, another “Great Buy” is targeting teaching instruction by learning level instead of by grade. Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) is a holistic approach to improving foundational skills. A version of this approach that includes an interactive pedagogy, has been developed and tested in Ghana and implemented at large scale in India, Cote d’Ivoire, and Zambia.  Now, after the pandemic, this approach of targeting instruction by children’s learning level – rather than just following a grade-based curriculum – is more important than ever.

Finally, providing quality pre-primary education also yields large long-term economic benefits in low- and high-income countries.  Several studies have shown how to provide preschool at low cost and at large scale, by leveraging existing education infrastructure and improving the quality of teacher training. Adapting preschool curricula to integrate them better into with primary education programs also helps sustain these gains over time.

“With more countries investing in early childhood education and development, the strengthened evidence on ‘what works’ in early childhood development is critical to ensure that money produces the best results,” said Rachel Glennerster, Associate Professor, Division of the Social Sciences and the College, University of Chicago; former Chief Economist at FCDO.

For more information or to download the report please visit the Global Education Evidence Advisory Panel webpage.

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This press release was first published by The World Bank

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The wisdom shared by  Toyota Chairman Fujio Cho, “Go see, ask why, show respect,” holds significant relevance for government officials when it comes to learning and adopting the Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) approach. The question we get asked a lot is how we identify the readiness of a government to implement TaRL. An illustrative example can be seen in Zambia. 

The Ministry of Education (MoE) officials in 2013 went to inspect schools and found a teacher in one school who was evaluating learners when they joined his class in grade eight. He would know the learning levels of all his children and then group them for their remedial classes. Recognising the effectiveness of this approach, the ministry issued a circular to all schools to implement Catch Up. Upon learning about this initiative, the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) team visited the MoE in 2015 to share the evidence supporting TaRL as a remedial and accelerated learning approach. With the government’s receptiveness and enabling environment, the adoption of TaRL became relatively straightforward. TaRL is now in 8 out of 12 provinces in Zambia, with learners on the program achieving 60-70% readership by age 10. That is significant, considering only 1 out of 10 learners in Africa can read a story and comprehend it by age 10.

Zambia is a shining star in implementing the TaRL approach called Catch Up, where VVOB, UNICEF, and TaRL Africa are working hand in hand with the government. Zambia has opened its doors to other countries coming to see, ask why, ask how, and learn. This inspiration has given our partners and us the impetus to continue responding to the huge demand for TaRL among the more than 12 countries in different stages of implementing the approach in Africa. We focus more on countries that have the biggest need for TaRL and are especially ready for TaRL, either through a huge awareness of the phenomenon by Pritchett that “schooling ain’t learning,” meaning the expansion of schooling has not led to better educated children and that although students are in school, they are not learning. Furthermore, priority is given to countries with policies or programs that prioritize foundational literacy and numeracy as they are more likely to adopt TaRL and succeed.

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Titus Syengo is TaRL Africa’s Executive Director. He drives the mission and strategy of TaRL Africa and oversees all programes, ensuring scale up of the TaRL approach to millions of primary school children in Africa

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The Ministry of National Education and Literacy and Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) Africa will implement the Targeted Teaching Program (PEC) in the Bagoué region, announced the regional director of Education and Literacy of Boundiali, Dramane Coulibaly, in an information note sent to the AIP.

“To achieve the national objective of the Ministry of National Education, PEC will be extended during the next school year to all schools in the Bagoué region, located in the north of the country. This is approximately 270 schools, thanks to funding from the Development Innovation Fund (FID),” Mr. Coulibaly said.

PEC is an evidence-based approach, which helps children acquire fundamental skills in French and Mathematics. It is implemented in more than a thousand schools in five regions and already impacts more than 158,000 children, particularly in the south of the country.

According to the country director of TaRL Africa in Côte d’Ivoire, Amos Dembélé, the Ministry of Education has shown its willingness to fully integrate PEC into the National Program for the Improvement of Early School Learning (PNAPAS). “We expect significant improvements in children’s reading and math skills in the near future,” he added.

TaRL Africa works closely with the Ministry of National Education and Literacy, providing technical support for quality implementation of PEC activities in schools.

It also accompanies the ministry by supporting the continuous training of teachers, by strengthening the technical skills of the personnel, who implement PEC, by supporting the mentoring, monitoring, evaluation and integration of PEC in didactic practices and regular pedagogical processes, and finally by supporting the strengthening of the education system.

This article was first published on FAAPA

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VVOB – Education for Development has expanded its Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) program intervention in Kasese District, Western Uganda, from 24 to 80 schools. The Ugandan Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) partners with VVOB, and the Hempel Foundation in implementing TaRL in this district targeting grades 3, 4, and 5 (P3, P4, and P5). It is currently reaching 24 schools and aims to scale to 80 primary schools by 2025 and develop an effective, government-led, and scalable model for remedial education. 

To build capacity of the support system, 325 teachers and 113 school administrators from the 56 additionally selected schools were trained in the TaRL method for seven days from 21st to 28th May 2023 at Bwera Primary Teachers College – Kasese district by a team of 27 Master trainers trained by TaRL Africa and VVOB staff.

The main objective of the training was to equip teachers and school administrators with knowledge and skills on the TaRL methodology to be able to implement the methodology effectively for accelerated learning and improve foundational literacy and numeracy skills among learners of P.3 to P.5 in the Rwenzori Region.

The Master trainers applied participatory methodologies while demonstrating and modeling TaRL numeracy and literacy activities and trainees. They later worked in groups to model the same activities and present through teachbacks coupled with daily quizzes. The trainees appreciated the new methodology and had confidence that if well implemented, this would help improve learning outcomes, especially foundational literacy and numeracy skills.

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Milly Asio is an Education Advisor – TaRL Rwenzori

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The “Ladder to Learning” initiative, implemented by Young African Refugees for Integral Development (YARID) aims to bridge the education gap among refugee children between the ages of 9-14 who are out of school in Kyaka, Palabek refugee settlements and Kampala, is now in its second cohort. The learners are receiving support in numeracy and literacy fundamentals using the Teaching at the Right Level approach and play-based learning. We are excited to announce that YARID has been selected for Education Cannot Wait funding, enabling them to implement an in-school project using the TaRL methodology in Kyaka II refugee settlement across eight schools. By collaborating with dedicated school teachers, YARID remains committed to helping these learners catch up on missed education. Read more about YARID’s TaRL programmes here.

Elvis Wanume is the Education Manager at YARID

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As Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) interventions grow worldwide, implementers and educators are eager to learn from each other’s context. Two delegations from Nigeria, including government officials from Kaduna State and a delegation of TaRL Africa’s Nigeria country team members,  wanted to learn more about the TaRL approach and see it in action in a new setting. They thus embarked on learning journeys to India in the first few months of 2023.

Government officials from Kaduna State in Nigeria visit education programs in India.

“This was an important trip for us, and I learned so much about how children can learn faster,” said Umar Abubakar, Director of School Management at Kaduna State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) and one of the 19 state and federal-level government officials from Kaduna who visited India in February 2023. This delegation was led by Dr. Christy Ayi Alademerin, Permanent Member of the Human Resources of Kaduna SUBEB, and included individuals working closely on Kaduna’s TaRL intervention — KadTaRL. 

During their visit, the government officials observed multiple foundational literacy and numeracy interventions in Delhi and Andhra Pradesh. In particular, they had a chance to observe the Andhra Pradesh state government’s Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) program, which is currently being implemented in over 60,000 schools in collaboration with Pratham Education Foundation. For Ahmad Sani, Director of Human Resources at Kaduna SUBEB, the learning journey was an eye-opening experience as it helped his team to think about potential solutions to the challenges affecting TaRL implementation in Nigeria. “ I could see how we can work with a large number of learners in a TaRL class. I also observed how to train a large number of teachers systematically without disrupting the school system,” he said. 

TaRL Africa Nigeria team

TaRL Africa team members from Nigeria, who visited India later in April 2023, found that the learning journey was equally informative. Composed of members of the Content and Training team and the Measurement, Learning, and Evaluation team, the delegation had the opportunity to engage with TaRL classroom methodologies and studied the different processes to integrate TaRL interventions in the education system. The team also held a workshop with TaRL Africa central team members based in India to conduct deep dives on various aspects of the approach including session planning, training agendas, and more.  

During their visit, the team saw Pratham Education Foundation’s education programs in Lucknow and Delhi. This allowed them to study how volunteer-led models can be implemented with children in school and also in their communities.“It was great to see a tripartite collaboration amongst communities, government, and Pratham to ensure that children learn effectively,” said Philip Adigun, a team member from TaRL Africa’s Nigeria team. He also stated that the team is eager to replicate some of the innovations seen in India, such as processes for the efficient provision of teaching and learning materials, involving mothers’ groups in various interventions, and enabling the presence of TaRL volunteer teachers in TaRL classrooms.   

The visit also allowed the team to reflect on how NGOs can work with governments to build strong partnerships for education programs in the Indian context. “One key lesson the Nigerian team is taking away is that Pratham, through her activities, has endeared herself to the hearts of the government, the community, and the children alike.  We hope TaRL Africa will achieve this too, not just in Nigeria but also in the other countries where it works,” said Philip. 

Adapting and actioning new learnings

Learning journeys are a valuable way for TaRL implementers to take stock of their own TaRL adaptation, improve these efforts, and innovate to find novel solutions to help accelerate children’s learning. At the conclusion of their learning journey, Kaduna State’s government delegates were inspired by the level of government ownership in the TaRL intervention  they saw in India and wanted to continue expanding the program to more LGEAs in Kaduna with support from TaRL Africa. They were also keen to mobilize youth, mothers, and community members in education programming. 

“We left New Delhi with a clear understanding of how to work with critical stakeholders,” said Philip, who is working with the team to develop systems that support effective stakeholder mapping, tracking engagement in interventions, and reviewing stakeholders’ performance. Team members have also been ideating on how to leverage existing government systems to bolster support for TaRL from community members and volunteers. However, “simplicity” remains paramount as the team streamlines processes to build awareness and buy-in on TaRL at different levels of the education systems in Nigeria.

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Philip Adigun is a TaRL Advisor in Kano State, Nigeria,  Tanvi Barnejee is a Senior Associate, Programs and Partnerships at Pratham International.

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Daniel Tinina is a dynamic and enthusiastic English teacher at Entaretoi Primary School in Kajiado County, Kenya. Despite using the Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) methodology for only two months, he has witnessed its positive impact on learners who were previously lagging behind. Daniel specifically focuses on teaching students at the Word and Letter levels, which are designed for those who have challenges  recognising letters and phonemes (small, separate sounds that make up a word).

According to Daniel, the TaRL methodology is fun and has significantly increased his students’ interest in school. He shares a memorable incident where his students eagerly fetched him from the staff room when he arrived a few minutes late for class because they genuinely enjoy the activities associated with TaRL.

“TaRL has equipped me with creativity and the ability to tackle the challenges I face in my teaching career, particularly in helping students grasp challenging concepts that might otherwise discourage their enthusiasm for learning. I have developed new and effective techniques for simplifying and engaging these concepts,” expressed Daniel.

Daniel also emphasizes the value of TaRL training and refresher programs, as they provide opportunities for him to interact with fellow teachers, exchange ideas, and discuss the various challenges they encounter, as well as the mistakes they have made along the way.

The remarkable success that Daniel attributes to TaRL is evident in the consistent academic progress of his students and their improved comprehension of learning materials.

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Amou Athian is a GRiC Fellow. She assists in documentation and gathering  impact stories from the field.

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Moving on to Côte d’Ivoire, TaRL Africa is also exploring innovative approaches to improve the effectiveness and sustainability of mentoring support provided to teachers implementing the Programme d’Enseignement Ciblé (PEC), the government-led TaRL program in the country. Building on qualitative scoping research, an innovation has been developed to enhance the mentoring support offered by pedagogical advisors (mentors). This innovation comprises two key components: the strategic use of data to guide targeted school visits by mentors and remote mentoring through phone calls and SMS. A pilot phase for this innovation was conducted in May to assess its feasibility. The results from the pilot will inform a planned Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) in the coming months, which will evaluate the impact of this innovation, aiming for a more sustainable pedagogical support model and efficient program scale-up.

Meanwhile, in Zambia, to inform an evidence-driven and locally contextualized scale up strategy, the TaRL Africa Measurement Learning and Evaluation (MLE) team is conducting a rigorous scientific study to measure the impact of the Catch Up program on learning outcomes in Zambian primary schools. The study employs a Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) methodology, ensuring a controlled implementation and measurement of the program across a randomly selected sample of schools and pupils. By utilizing this approach, the study aims to generate unbiased results that can inform the scale-up of TaRL programs not only in Zambia but also in other African countries with similar contexts. Taking place from June 2022 to November 2024, the study involves 273 schools in Central and Western provinces of Zambia, encompassing a sample of 8,025 pupils (4,089 girls and 3,936 boys).

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Government officials from Angola, Eritrea, Somaliland, and Uganda made a study visit to Zambia from February 27 to March 3. The focus of the visit was to observe and learn from the Government-led Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) program, called Catch Up. During this visit, the officials witnessed the implementation of TaRL in a classroom and gained insights from Zambia’s Ministry of Education and other stakeholders supporting the program.

“The positive results from schools implementing the Catch Up intervention is what keeps motivating the government to scale up TaRL with the vision to be present in all provinces and schools in Zambia in the near future,” said Mahuba Hazemba, Government Liaison Officer- TaRL Africa. TaRL has been successfully adapted, piloted, and scaled across various Sub-Saharan countries in the past five years. The approach has proven to be an effective tool that governments and organizations can leverage to ensure children graduate from primary school with fundamental literacy and numeracy skills. Zambia is a prime example of this success story right from the pilot phase in 2016. Led by the Ministry of Education, in collaboration with VVOB-education for development, TaRL Africa, and UNICEF, the Catch Up program is currently being implemented in close to half of the country’s primary schools across eight of Zambia’s ten provinces (Southern, Eastern, Lusaka, Northern, Muchinga, Western, Luapula and Central Provinces), with plans to scale up to all provinces by the end of 2024.

“We were impressed by the level by which the learning problem is well understood by the government at all levels and by the level of commitment to address the challenge,” said Evaristo João Pedro, Director of the National Directorate for Young Adults and Adults Education (DNEJA), Angola.

Officials from Angola, Eritrea, and Somaliland were interacting with the program for the first time, while those from Uganda had already experienced TaRL in their country through projects in multiple districts in operation since 2020.

“We have seen improvements in literacy and numeracy outcomes in the districts where TaRL is being implemented in Uganda. We look forward to implementing lessons from Zambia on how we can improve the program and more importantly scale up to other districts,” said Dr. Cleophas Mugenyi, Commissioner, Basic Education Department, Ministry of Education & Sports Uganda.

“The success of TaRL in Zambia and other countries serves as proof that governments and organizations can utilize this approach to reduce learning loss and ensure that children acquire the necessary foundational skills to excel in their academic pursuits,” said Mr. Joel Kamoko, the Permanent Secretary (PS) in charge of Technical Services in the Ministry of Education (MoE), Zambia.

The officials returned to their respective countries with valuable lessons, insights, and inspiration to adapt and scale up the TaRL approach in order to improve children’s learning outcomes in their contexts.

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In March 2023, TaRL Africa hosted the Advanced TaRL Course in Nairobi, Kenya – a 10-day program to boost the capacity of Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) implementers in Sub-Saharan Africa. Sixteen participants from across the continent gathered to engage in impactful sessions to expand their knowledge and skills in the TaRL approach.

The Advanced TaRL course participants were selected through a competitive process from partner organizations that implement TaRL programs in different contexts and involved organizations such as DG Murray Trust (DGMT), Grassroots Nest for Innovations and Change (GRiC Africa), Nkong HillTop Association for Development (NADEV), Street Child, UNICEF Nigeria, VVOB Uganda, and Zambia, Young African Refugees for Integral Development (YARID), and Youth Impact.

The TaRL Africa content and training team conducted the tailored training to deepen the knowledge of partners implementing TaRL in different African contexts. The training sessions started with evaluating partners’ programs on areas that needed improvement. The sessions were structured so participants learnt how to assist others in designing TaRL programs for their diverse settings. 

“This was the inaugural cohort to receive this unique learning and sharing opportunity and to acquire knowledge of various contexts, including out-of-school children, refugees, and students who are lagging in their studies,” said Sheila Chepkoech, TaRL Africa’s Partnership Manager.

In addition, participants had an opportunity to visit Learning Labs, where small tweaks in the TaRL approach are being trialed in a small number of schools for learning purposes.

“It was truly awe-inspiring, interacting with other partners and learning from their experiences proved immensely valuable. The knowledge and insights I gained during this time have significantly expanded my skills and deepened my understanding of TaRL. I am grateful for the opportunity to broaden my expertise,” said Judith Metugue from NADEV.

“With this training, the TaRL family has finally become one across Africa. The methodology will continue to gain momentum. And in years to come, TaRL will be implemented all over Africa. We that had this great opportunity to undergo this training, must justify the confidence reposed in us,” said Suleiman Mohammed, UNICEF Nigeria.

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Sheila Chepkoech is TaRL Africa’s Partnerships Manager. She is responsible for developing and executing partnership engagement, and community building strategies.

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