The Issue
Crisis in Foundational Learning in Rural Uganda
Despite high enrollment from Universal Primary Education (UPE), rural children are in school but are not learning foundational literacy and numeracy skills at the right age, leading to a “learning poverty” crisis. This deficit is fueled by a severe lack of qualified teachers and instructional materials, long distances to school, and a language-in-education policy that is inconsistently applied (with multiple language switches) which hinders comprehension, especially in English. Furthermore, pervasive household poverty forces many children to drop out or attend school exhausted and hungry.
Key action
Key actions must focus on accelerating foundational skills through proven interventions like the Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) methodology, grouping learners by ability rather than age. We must prioritise local language instruction in the early grades to boost comprehension. This must be supported by increasing the recruitment and training of qualified teachers for rural areas, subsidising scholastic materials, and implementing school-feeding programs to improve concentration and retention.
Our Reach
People we have been able to reach in Education support