Join our newsletter
Explore the latest news in education and development
By subscribing you agree to our Privacy Policy
UCatchUp Kasese 1
Share this article
Challenge
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 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 operations by the end of primary school. The COVID-19 pandemic has aggravated Uganda’s ‘learning poverty’, with Kasese district in Rwenzori performing below the country average.
Goals
Teachers and school leaders of 80 primary schools in Kasese district in Rwenzori support learners in primary grades 3 to 5 to acquire foundational literacy and numeracy skills through Teaching at the Right Level.
Project Partners
Approach
Developed by Pratham NGO, Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) is a fun, effective and evidence-based remedial learning methodology. It enables learners to quickly catch up on literacy and numeracy by grouping them according to learning levels rather than age, and targeting instruction to that level.
The UCatchUp Kasese 1 project was built on three pillars:
- Professional development of teachers and school leaders to apply the TaRL methodology through training by Master Trainers and regular monitoring by
school-based and external mentors - Regular assessment through baseline, midline and endline assessments to monitor learning outcomes and regroup learners
- Development of contextualised teaching guides and teaching and learning support materials on TaRL
The delivery of TaRL lessons uses a school-based modality. TaRL lessons are provided before and after ordinary school hours to allow learners to catch up and improve their literacy and numeracy abilities. Ideally, TaRL sessions would be included in normal school hours. This is a topic for advocacy with the Ministry of Education and Sports and other education stakeholders.
By the end of the programme
- Selected government staff and teacher trainers are experienced UCatchUp Master Trainers who conduct training and mentoring-monitoring visits. To strengthen the capacity of both Kasese district and municipality, as well as VVOB staff, a master TaRL training was conducted over 8 days, followed by 20 hours of practice classes to provide hands-on experience in classroom delivery of TaRL, focusing on key aspects of the model and allowing participants to go through the entire cycle of assessment, grouping, lesson planning, teaching, and evaluation. The training was facilitated by TaRL Africa. A total of 17 Master Trainers (11 males, 6 females) and 2 VVOB staff received this basic training. Additionally, three refresher training courses were held to enhance the Master Trainers' capacity to train teachers and school-based mentors, facilitated by VVOB staff.
- School leaders, mentors and teachers have the competencies to implement UCatchUp sessions in literacy and numeracy in their schools. In 2022, mentors from 24 pilot schools received foundational training in the TaRL methodology, with an expanded group from 56 schools who participated in 2023. A refresher training in 2024 further reinforced key skills and supported ongoing mentorship effectiveness.
- Daily UCatchUp sessions for literacy and numeracy per school year have been organised in 80 primary schools for 33,682 P3-P5 learners. Learner attendance was recorded using attendance registers at the end of each lesson. In 2022, data was collected from 3,243 learners across 19 schools; in 2023, from 12,756 learners in 80 schools; and in 2024, from 13,041 learners in 80 schools. The data indicated that 80 to 84 percent of learners completed at least 80 percent of the UCatchUp lessons, showing strong engagement with the programme.
- Learning outcomes for foundational skills in literacy and numeracy have improved significantly in 80 primary government schools in Kasese district