The Enhancing Learning Outcomes for Primary School Students project aimed to tackle the learning gap created by Tanzania’s rapid expansion of “fee-free” primary education, which led to increased enrollment but insufficient investments in education quality (World Bank, 2018). As a result, many children have been leaving school without foundational skills in reading, writing, and arithmetic, limiting their progression to secondary school.
Through the implementation of the Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) approach—an innovative, low-cost, and highly effective teaching method—this project has made significant strides in improving literacy and numeracy among struggling students in grades 3 to 6. A total of 2,081 students from 20 schools were assessed, and 473 students (23%) who failed to meet the basic literacy levels were enrolled in the program. After undergoing TaRL training, 377 of those students graduated, achieving an 81% success rate in literacy.
In numeracy, 630 students who struggled with basic skills such as number recognition, addition, subtraction, division, and multiplication were also enrolled in the program. By the end of the TaRL training, 405 students had successfully gained these essential skills.
The project’s success has been further validated by the heartfelt testimonies of parents, who have shared how the TaRL intervention has transformed their children’s learning capabilities. By focusing on students’ current abilities, the TaRL approach effectively addressed learning gaps within just 30-60 days, helping students acquire critical foundational skills.
This program exemplifies how targeted, cost-effective interventions can rapidly improve learning outcomes, ensuring that children in Tanzania not only attend school but also acquire the skills they need to thrive academically.
