I will appreciate any feedback on this initiative.
We aim to pilot Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) in underserved public primary schools in Lagos, Nigeria, by equipping student-teachers with the tools and training to deliver foundational literacy and numeracy sessions during their mandatory teaching practice. Over 11,000 student-teachers graduate from Nigerian colleges of education and faculties of education annually, most of whom are deployed to teach in public schools—yet this resource is underutilized for targeted learning interventions. This pilot explores a scalable model that taps into this system to improve basic learning outcomes, guided by proven TaRL methods.
Train 10–15 student-teachers using TaRL Africa’s model and materials in collaboration with Lagos State University’s Faculty of Education.
Deploy these trainees to deliver 6–8 weeks of TaRL sessions (30–45 mins, 3–4x weekly) during their school placements.
Conduct pre- and post-intervention assessments to measure gains in reading and arithmetic.
Document outcomes and share results with the EA community, faculty partners, and education stakeholders.
Use the pilot to build evidence and stakeholder interest toward integrating TaRL into teacher training and NYSC schemes nationally.
The UN’s 2023 Education Report revealed that over 70% of Nigerian primary students do not achieve basic reading and numeracy skills by the end of primary school.
Source: (https://borgenproject.org/illiteracy-in-nigeria/)
This is a generational crisis—yet also an opportunity. If the pilot goes as planned, it could form the basis for large-scale government adoption of a TaRL-in-Teacher-Training approach, reaching tens of thousands of pupils annually with marginal cost.
Trainer Honorarium & Support – For expert facilitation from TaRL Africa
Training Materials & Printouts – Grouping tools, baseline assessments, lesson aids
Transportation & Monitoring – School visits by EA LASU team and mentors
Venue & Logistics – Hosting a 10-day bootcamp for 10–15 student-teachers
Evaluation & Documentation – Endline testing, feedback sessions, brief report
$2,500 covers the core pilot with 10 student-teachers and 150 pupils
$5,000 allows training of 20 student-teachers and scale-up to 300+ pupils
(A buffer of 10–15% is included to accommodate cost variability)
Tajudeen Riliwan (Project Lead) – Economics educator, EA LASU founder, project coordinator, currently piloting EA learning programs and AI research initiatives.
Aisha Salaudeen & Barakat Abdulrahmon (Program Assistants) – Education students with recent teaching experience and involvement in EA LASU’s TaRL planning.
Mahfuz Alabidun - Founder/Executive Director Inmates Educational Foundation & Mandela Washington Fellow 2023
Faculty Mentors (3) – LASU's (Lagos State University) Faculty of Education allies who help recruit participants, supervise school deployments, and advocate within university channels.
TaRL Africa (Support) – Providing model materials, curriculum guidance, and trainers.
Track Record:
Successfully launched EA LASU with 5+ workshops, career fellowships, and literacy outreach.
Organized local tutoring and outreach in low-income areas.
Initiated and secured commitment from TaRL Africa for pilot support.
Coordinated internal team and university engagement since early 2025.
Low trainee commitment → We’re recruiting highly motivated students through LASU's Faculty of Education and EA community.
Lack of school cooperation → Student-teachers are already embedded in public schools via teaching practice.
Inconclusive impact → We're using standardized TaRL assessments to ensure learning gains can be tracked.
No financial grants yet.
In-kind mentorship, learning resources, and training materials support offered by TaRL Africa and EA mentors.