Catch-Up (CU) implementation in Zambia began in 2016-17. It is now being implemented by Ministry of Education (MoE) in 4,894 primary schools and has improved literacy and numeracy performance for 732 216, Grade 3-5 learners in Southern, Lusaka, Central, Northern, Muchinga, Luapula, Western and Eastern provinces, so 8 out of the 10 provinces. Given the scale of the programme a Catch-Up Coordinating Committee (CUCC) has been set up and launched to support the coordination and implementation of the program, and to ensure it is sustained. The launch was held in Lusaka on the 31st of January 2023. The CUCC will comprise a maximum of 19 members drawn from Ministry Directorates and partners that are actively involved in the support implementation of Catch-Up as follows:
- Directorate of Standards & Assessments [3]
- Directorate of Curriculum Development [2]
- Directorate of Teacher Education and Specialized Services (TESS) [3]
- Directorate of Planning & Information [2]
- Directorate of Open and Distance Education [2]
- Directorate of Human Resource Development [2]
- Directorate of Primary [1]
- VVOB representatives [2]
- TaRL Africa representative [1]
- UNICEF representative [1]
The inception meeting of the CUCC was held on the 24th of February 2023 and the objectives of the meeting were:
- To orient the members on the Coordinating Committee Terms of References
- To hold elections of the Catch-Up Coordinating Committee Executive Committee
- To share the 2023 key activities of the Catch-Up Coordinating Committee
According to the ToRs the mandate of the CUCC shall be:
To ensure effective coordination, planning (program design and strategy) and implementation of Catch-Up. The Committee will act as a forum for routinely engaging the Directorates, units and partners to discuss plans related to Catch-Up.
The elections ushered in the following committee:
- Directorate of Standard, Assessment and Evaluation - Chair of the Committee
- Primary Education - Vice-Chair of the Committee
- Teacher Education and Specialized Services - Secretariat.
