Zambia's catch up intervention is key

CHALI MULENGA

Livingstone

MINISTRY of Education Permanent Secretary for Technical Services Kelvin Mambwe has described Zambia’s Catch-Up intervention as a key strategy for improving foundational literacy and numeracy, saying the programme is already showing positive results in public schools.

Dr Mambwe said this in Livingstone after monitoring implementation of the remedial learning initiative alongside a delegation from India and education partner VVOB.

The team visited two schools where they observed lessons and interacted with teachers and learners participating in catch-up classes designed to help pupils attain expected competency levels.

“The impression that we have gotten is very impressive. We are able to see children who are slow learners catching up, able to read and write and able to do simple arithmetic, which is very important,” Dr Mambwe said.

He said the programme targets learners struggling with literacy and numeracy by strengthening foundational skills needed for progression through the education system.

Dr Mambwe said the intervention forms part of broader Government efforts to improve learning outcomes in public schools.

“This programme is one of the interventions the Government is implementing to ensure quality education,” he said.

He commended VVOB and the visiting Indian delegation for supporting implementation and promoting knowledge exchange.

Dr Mambwe said Zambia and India face similar education challenges, making the visit an opportunity for both countries to share practical solutions.

“We are very impressed with the partnership that we are receiving from VVOB and our partners from India who have come to see and share experiences with the Zambian counterparts,” he said.

He also praised teachers for their role in helping learners improve performance and highlighted the importance of the school feeding programme in supporting pupils attending additional learning sessions.

Meanwhile, an Indian delegation has expressed admiration for Zambia’s implementation of the Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) approach, describing it as an effective model for improving learner outcomes.

VVOB Operations Manager Bridget Mumba said the visit gave delegates first-hand experience of how the programme is transforming classroom learning.

“Today has been quite eye-opening looking at what the programme is about and actually experiencing it being implemented in the classes,” Ms Mumba said.

She said teachers were actively engaging learners and ensuring pupils progressed according to their learning abilities.

“You could see the teachers are quite engaged with the learners and in some classes most of them were at the same level, which is what we are trying to achieve — ensuring every learner reaches the expected capacity,” she said.

Ms Mumba said the exchange formed part of government-to-government learning between Zambia and India to strengthen implementation of the TaRL model.

An international education expert, Dr Sarvendra Singh of Pratham Education Foundation, also praised Zambia’s catch-up programme after visiting schools in Lusaka and Livingstone.

Dr Singh said the initiative, which has been running for about 10 years, was helping children improve learning outcomes by teaching them according to actual competency levels rather than grade placement.

“We had heard about this entire catch-up programme and the progress made by teachers and the Ministry, and that is why we are here,” Dr Singh said.

He explained that learners are assessed and grouped according to ability levels, enabling teachers to tailor instruction and improve understanding.

“For example, in language learning, children move from recognising letters and alphabets to reading sentences, then paragraphs and eventually stories,” he said.

Dr Singh said the approach strengthens teacher-learner interaction and allows children to progress at an appropriate pace.

He also commended school leadership and community support, saying teachers demonstrated strong classroom engagement and effective use of learner data.

“There is strong leadership, there is community support and there is positive energy in the classroom. The relationship between teachers and children is very strong and that changes the entire learning environment,” Dr Singh said.

He said the flexible teaching model enables teachers to respond more effectively to individual learning challenges and supports improved learner outcomes.

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