In this month’s episode of the ADEA Africa Learning Together podcast, we spotlight Ghana’s Differentiated Learning initiative – an innovative, contextualized approach to Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL). We are joined by colleagues from the Ghana Education Service (GES) and Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) to explore how this learner-centred model is transforming foundational education in the country.

Developed by GES in collaboration with IPA, UNICEF, and other partners, the initiative groups learners based on their proficiency in literacy and numeracy rather than by grade level. Through targeted instruction, play-based learning, and the application of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles, it delivers more effective and inclusive learning experiences.

Initially piloted in the country’s Donkorkrom region with promising outcomes, Differentiated Learning is now being scaled nationwide through the Ghana Accountability for Learning Outcomes Project (GALOP) – reaching over 10,000 of the country's lowest-performing schools. This scale-up builds on earlier programs such as the Teacher Community Assistant Initiative (TCAI) and the STARS initiative.