Innovative Finance
August 1, 2024
Context
Zimbabwe’s education system faces a deepening learning crisis, with students averaging just 396 on a global harmonized learning scale where 625 marks advanced attainment. Economic volatility, high inflation, and recurrent droughts have further strained resources, undermining school operations and pupil attendance. Teacher shortages, limited training opportunities, and uneven access to quality instruction have hindered progress toward foundational learning. Persistent poverty, resource shortages, and weak infrastructure also limit equitable, quality learning. Addressing these structural and capacity gaps is critical to reversing stagnating outcomes and ensuring equitable learning for all children, particularly as government resources and donor funding continue to tighten amid worsening economic and climate-related pressures.
Solution
Launched in 2019 and expected to conclude in 2026, the TEACH (Teacher Effectiveness and Equitable Access for Children) program aims to improve teaching quality and equitable learning across Zimbabwe. TEACH combines teacher professional development (TPD), social and emotional learning (SEL), equitable access, and adolescent girls’ education. Through collaboration with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, the TPD component enhances literacy and numeracy instruction for Grades 2 and above while building a cohesive professional development system that bridges pre-service and in-service training. TEACH increases equitable access by financing disadvantaged schools through School Improvement Grants (SIG), and introduces solar power to enable learning in remote areas. The SEL component of TEACH focuses on equipping pre-school children with relevant qualities and competencies, while the Supporting Adolescent Girls’ Education (SAGE) component supports disadvantaged out-of-school adolescent girls through community-based learning hubs. Overall, TEACH strengthens teacher training, leadership capacity, inspection and assessment systems, and inclusion frameworks.
Impact
The program has consistently met expectations, achieving an “A” rating for most of its run. All impact indicators are on track: by 2024, the Grade 7 pass rate rose to 45 per cent and Form 4 to 30 per cent, with gender parity maintained. By 2023, over 1.5 million marginalized children were attending functional schools supported by School Improvement Grants. More than 60,000 teachers and school leaders have completed training on inclusive pedagogy and leadership, while solarization has provided electricity to 148 rural schools. Enhanced e-inspection tools and dashboards strengthen accountability and data-driven decision-making. SAGE has supported over 5,000 adolescent girls with literacy, skills, and SRHR education. The SEL component works to enhance preschoolers’ emotional and social readiness in Manicaland and Matabeleland provinces. Together, these gains demonstrate steady progress toward more equitable and resilient education outcomes nationwide. Though full evaluation results are forthcoming, early evidence suggests improved teaching confidence, stronger school management, and better alignment between teacher education and classroom needs, laying the groundwork for a sustained rise in national learning outcomes.