Improving literacy and numeracy in north-east Nigeria thanks to innovative teaching methodology

But after a two-week Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) methodology training organised by UNICEF and the Borno State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Saidu and Shehu now know better. The training, funded by the Global Programme for Education (GPE) and the Bank of Germany (KfW), is helping teachers across Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states realise that existing teaching methods are not child-centred, and to take approaches that are more effective to improve literacy and numeracy skills.

“It was the best and most interesting training I have ever had,” said an excited Shehu, who has been teaching for 12 years.

TaRL entails assessing and re-grouping children based on their learning levels, as opposed to the current practice of using a child’s age and height to determine an appropriate class. This way, children who are ahead of others are not held back in their learning, and vice versa.

The approach was first piloted in Borno State in 2018 for six months, with two hours a day dedicated to teaching basic reading and numeracy skills using the local language. 

The results were impressive. Pupils who could not read the alphabet dropped from 68 per cent to 17 per cent, and children in grades 4-6 who could read a paragraph of four lines in the local Hausa language increased from 14 per cent to 45 per cent. In numeracy, children who were proficient in subtraction increased from 11 per cent to 59 per cent.

The approach has now been adapted with materials developed in Kanuri and Fulfulde, which are the major local languages in Borno and Adamawa States, to expand access to more children.

Shehu is faced with overcrowding in her classroom and is often unsure how to manage her learners. With TaRL, she now knows how to organise the children and ensure that learning takes place.

“Having already assessed my pupils, I simply cluster them into subgroups based on their capabilities, give them tasks and appoint the strongest among them to lead the group, while I supervise,” she explained.

Saidu is equally excited about how she learned to use locally available materials as substitutes for teaching resources.