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Closing the Learning Gap - Piloting an Integrated Model for Foundational Learning in Zambia
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Challenge
In Zambia, despite increased access to education, many learners progress through school without mastering basic literacy and numeracy skills. According to the Early Grade Reading Assessments (EGRA) and the Examinations Council of Zambia (ECZ) conducted in 2018 and 2021 across multiple provinces, only 4% of Grade 2 (typically 8 years old) learners can read at the level expected of their age. This learning gap often leads to learners dropping out, making it harder for them to succeed later in life.
Goals
Improve foundational literacy and numeracy skills for around 73,000 Grade 2 learners across 110 primary schools in Zambia’s Eastern Province by:
- Co-developing an integrated and scalable model for foundational learning with the Ministry of Education that is based on the strongest available evidence of what works in foundational learning, and that is adapted to the Zambian context.
- Supporting government staff to build the skills they need to effectively teach, monitor, mentor and assess foundational learning.
- Evaluating the pilot and sharing the results with the wider education community.
Project Partners
Approach
The Global Education Evidence Advisory Panel (GEEAP) report, the Learning Poverty report, the Learning at Scale study and several meta-analyses highlight three cost-effective and evidence-based solutions to address this challenge in Zambia: structured pedagogy, early grade remediation and Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL). TaRL helps children learn by grouping them according to what they know, rather than by grade.
The project will develop, implement and test an integrated approach to foundational learning, combining the following components:
- Structured pedagogy in early grades (piloted in Grade 2). Structured pedagogy combines clear learning objectives, well-designed materials, teacher professional development and local community involvement to build strong foundational skills in literacy and numeracy, which are critical for future academic success.
- Remediation in the early grades (piloted in Grade 2), preferably by adjusting lessons within the classroom to meet different learning needs. The strategies and materials for this approach will be integrated into the standard pedagogy packages used by teachers.
By the end of the programme
- Foundational skills of learners are improved through a contextualised, scalable and integrated approach to foundational learning.
- Government staff skills are strengthened to implement, oversee and manage the implementation of foundational learning.