UCatchUp Kasese 2

26 Aug 2025

2 min read

A teacher stands at the front of a classroom pointing to a pink chart with letters, while young students sit on the floor attentively watching.

Challenge

Many children in Primary Grade 3 to Primary Grade 5 (typically ages 8 to 11) in Kasese district, Uganda, are struggling to read, write and do basic maths. According to the Uwezo 2019 report, only 1 in 4 children in Primary Grades 3 to 7 in Kasese are able to read, write and do basic maths at the level expected of their age. Although earlier efforts have shown success in improving foundational skills, many learners still fall behind. This is partly because teachers do not always have the tools, training or support they need to teach effectively and the systems to track and improve teaching methods are not strong enough.

Goals

Support the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES), Kasese District Local Government and the Kasese Municipal Council in significantly improving the foundational literacy and numeracy skills of an estimated 100,752 learners in Primary Grade 3 to Primary Grade 5 in government and government-aided primary schools in the district and municipality. This will be achieved through the implementation and scaling of UCatchUp, a contextualised, school-based, government-led Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) learning methodology.

Approach

The UCatchUp Kasese 2 project adapts the TaRL methodology to address Uganda's specific educational needs, ensuring it is both relevant and impactful. Developed by the Indian NGO Pratham, TaRL is a fun, effective and evidence-based remedial learning methodology. Its success has led to its adoption across various countries, including Zambia. TaRL allows 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 methodology integrates regular individual assessments to monitor learners' progress and adjust their groupings, ensuring instruction remains appropriate for their evolving needs. TaRL sessions often utilise locally available materials and incorporate play-based learning activities to keep learners engaged. These sessions can take place before or after school, offering flexibility while ensuring children receive the targeted support they need.

Building on lessons from the first phase (UCatchUp Kasese 1) which focuses on 80 primary schools, the second phase of the project will be scaled to cover all 266 government and government-aided primary schools in Kasese district and municipality.

Training primary school teachers and district education officials to deliver effective foundational education and monitor learning outcomes, the project aligns with national policies on teacher professional development. The project also focusses on building the skills and systems needed for the government to further scale and sustain UCatchUp in the future.

By the end of the programme

Teachers are trained on the TaRL methodology and are provided with contextualised teaching and learning support materials and periodic mentoring.
District local government and municipal council is trained on managing and overseeing TaRL implementation in the district.
School leaders are trained on managerial TaRL best practices.
The use of a web-based portal for collection and interpretation of learning data to inform mentoring, monitoring and reporting is well embedded within Kasese district systems.
The journey of encouraging government ownership and integrating TaRL nationally is analysed and documented.