Meeting emaSwati Learners Where They Are: Teaching at the Right Level Opens Doors to Future Skills in the Kingdom of Eswatini

Nine-year-old Thandeka sits at the front of her classroom in rural Eswatini, tracing letters on a piece of paper. A few weeks ago, she could not read a single word. Today, she sounds out simple words, pausing between syllables before looking up at her teacher with a quiet sense of pride. Around her, some children are counting using bottle tops, while others read aloud from word cards. Each group is working on something different, learning at a pace that matches their current skills. For students like Thandeka, this small shift is opening the door not only to learning but also to future skills and opportunities.

A Regional Learning Crisis and a Foundation for Skills

Across Sub-Saharan Africa, millions of children complete early primary school without mastering foundational skills; nearly 90% of 10-year-olds in the region cannot read and understand a simple text; 83% lack basic math proficiency. These gaps do not just affect school performance; they limit the skills needed to access jobs and build productive lives.

Eswatini faces a similar challenge. In 2022, only 16% of children (Grade 2/3) displayed foundational reading skills; only 8% showed the expected proficiency in mathematics. A 2025 learning assessment found that Grade 3 students in the country were reading only 3 correct words per minute (cwpm) in English and 8 cwpm in siSwati.

Traditionally, classrooms in the country followed a one-size-fits-all approach, where students were expected to keep pace with the curriculum regardless of their learning level. In the absence of regular, formative assessments, teachers relied on end-of-term assessments to understand student learning. As a result, many learners were falling behind early, and without targeted support, those gaps would grow larger over time.

Recognizing this, the Government of Eswatini, with support from the World Bank's Accelerator Program and Montrose International, piloted a new approach: Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL). The initiative is about strengthening foundational literacy and numeracy skills early, building the start of lifelong learning-an essential building block for the country's broader skills and jobs agenda.

Without foundational learning, students often fail to thrive later in school or when they join the workforce. They miss out on building the human capital they need to thrive as workers once they leave school, and the skills that enable them to become productive throughout their lives. Importantly, a lack of foundational literacy skills in the early grades can lead to the intergenerational transmission of poverty and vulnerability. These same skills also enable people to reskill or upskill later in life.

Dr. Tholakele Mngometulu-Dlamini, Director at Ministry of Education and Training shared, "A lot of work needs to be done to improve early learning in our country. Having observed the TaRL approach in South Africa, we felt that this approach could be effective in Eswatini as well."

Teaching at the Right Level: A Building Block for Future Skills

The pilot was rolled out in 30 primary schools, reaching nearly 1,900 learners and training over 90 teachers. Instead of teaching strictly to the curriculum, teachers assessed learners' abilities and grouped them accordingly, tailoring instruction to each group. Two models were tested, one integrated into classroom instruction, and another delivered through after-school sessions.

Dr. Thamie Mduduzi Dlamini, Chief Inspector for Primary Education at MoET shared, "We are rolling out formative assessment material to all early grades. Teachers are now better informed about gaps in student learning. TaRL will equip teachers with strategies to effectively address these gaps."

The approach helps build the cognitive foundations needed for future learning, adaptability, and employability, skills that are critical in a changing economy.

In classrooms, the transformation was immediate. Teachers began to understand their learners in a new way. One teacher shared, "The assessment tool helps a lot as I see them one by one and can identify their challenges."

This new insight reshaped teaching practices. Lessons became more interactive, with group work, games, and hands-on materials replacing traditional lecture methods. Classrooms became more dynamic and more responsive to learners' needs. The ability to move between groups based on progress created a sense of purpose among learners. Many students became more motivated, eager to improve, and more confident in their abilities.

Early Results with System-Wide Implications

Even within a short pilot period, results were encouraging. Teachers reported improvements in literacy and numeracy, with many learners progressing to higher competency groups. Reading gains were especially visible. Learners who had previously struggled were able to recognize letters, read words, and construct simple sentences. In several schools, students who had struggled most were now actively participating in class. Closing these early gaps has significant implications-not just for individual students, but for the overall performance of the education system.

Lessons for Scaling What Works

Recommendations for scale up that emerged from this pilot included ensuring that all teachers are well versed in conducting formative assessments, considering an exclusive focus on foundational skills in the early grades, and framing TaRL as a school-wide improvement strategy, rather than a remediation add-on.

The pilot revealed some important challenges too. In a few cases, large class sizes made it difficult to manage multiple learning groups effectively. Many teachers highlighted the need for additional support, including teaching assistants and more learning materials. After-school sessions, while valuable, introduced logistical complexities related to classroom organization, such as explaining why Grade 3 learners were sitting with Grade 2 learners for portions of the week.

Despite these constraints, all participating schools successfully implemented the approach, demonstrating that TaRL is feasible within existing systems when supported appropriately. Based on the pilot, MoET is now working on scaling up the approach to all lower primary classrooms in the country.

From Foundational Learning to Jobs and Opportunity

Strengthening foundational learning is critical to building human capital-the skills and capabilities people need to contribute productively to the economy. By ensuring that children acquire basic literacy and numeracy early, Eswatini is strengthening the pipeline of future skills. These foundational abilities support further learning, improve school retention, and increase opportunities for employment later in life. Together, these gains help strengthen the link between education, skills development, and jobs-supporting Eswatini's efforts to build a more productive and inclusive workforce.

Back in her classroom, Thandeka continues to read, her confidence growing with each word. Her progress reflects a broader transformation-one grounded in a simple but powerful insight: when teaching meets learners where they are, every child can succeed.