Inside Teacher Esther’s Catch Up Classroom in Zambia

For many children at Matilyo Primary School, located in Zambia’s Central Province, around 200 kilometres north of the capital, Lusaka, in a region known for its forests and farmland, that teacher is Esther Phiri. Now 42, she has spent 13 years in the teaching profession, working across Grades 1, 3, 4, 5 and 7.  

Today, she leads a Grade One class of 78 learners. After more than a decade in the classroom, what still moves her the most is simple: the moment a child reads for the first time. 

But there was a time when this was not the case. 

Her learners could repeat sounds after her. 
“Ma, ne, ni, mo, mu…” 
 
Yet when she asked a child to point to “ma” on the board, many could not. In numeracy, it was the same. Children struggled to recognise numbers. The strategies she relied on were not working. 

Esther knew something had to change. She just did not yet know how.

In December 2022, Esther attended mentor training in Kapiri Mposhi. There, she was introduced to Catch Up. What struck her first was its clarity. 

Catch Up, adapted from Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) developed by Pratham in India, begins with a simple idea: teach children according to what they can do, not the grade they are in. 

Each learner is assessed individually. 
They are grouped by learning level. 
For one focused hour each day, they receive targeted, practical instruction. 

For Esther, it felt like someone had handed her the missing piece. 

The shift did not happen overnight. But it was visible. 

Instead of teaching one lesson to 78 learners at once, Esther began working with smaller groups based on their skill levels. Activities were practical. Playful. Intentional. 

Children who once repeated without understanding began recognising words. 
Those who feared numbers began solving them. 

By the end of 2024, the change across the school was clear. Hundreds more learners could read simple paragraphs. Many who once struggled beyond addition were now multiplying and dividing. 

But the most meaningful shift could not be captured in numbers. 

Children raised their hands more often. 
They stayed focused longer. 
They began to believe they could learn. 

The beginning was not easy. Many teachers initially saw Catch Up as extra work. Support was limited, and enthusiasm was low. Yet Esther did not give up. 

She began sharing results during staff briefings, using learner data to show what was possible. When new school leaders arrived, she took time to orient them, walking them through the programme and its impact. Their support helped embed Catch Up into school routines, timetables, and professional development plans. 

Esther’s leadership soon extended beyond Matilyo Primary School. As a teacher mentor, she now supports schools across her zone, an administrative cluster of schools organised by the Ministry of Education for supervision and management, including those too far to attend regular continuous professional development (CPD) sessions. She travels to neighbouring schools to coach teachers and school leaders, strengthening collaboration and shared responsibility for learner progress. 

Her journey mirrors that of many teachers who, when given the right tools and support, become leaders of change. Her story is a reminder that when teaching meets learners at the right level, everyone can catch up. 

 
Catch Up is Zambia’s government-led remedial learning programme, adapted from the Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) approach, to strengthen foundational literacy and numeracy for early-grade learners. Through close collaboration with the Ministry and partners, VVOB supports teachers like Esther to translate evidence into everyday classroom practice.

Learn more about foundational literacy and numeracy