We are pleased to share the results of a formative evaluation carried out by PPMI | Part of Verian Group on the piloting of the remedial education programme Aprendizagem na Idade Certa (AIC) in Angola. The programme, commissioned by UNICEF Angola and implemented jointly with the Ministry of Education (MoE) and the methodological support of TaRL Africa, aims to strengthen foundational literacy and numeracy skills among primary school learners.
During the 2024–2025 academic year, the programme was piloted in Grades 3–5 across 71 schools in seven municipalities in four provinces. The evaluation assessed the programme’s relevance, coherence, effectiveness, and efficiency through an equity lens, and captured early signs of impact and lessons learned to support future programme expansion. Data collection employed a mixed-methods approach, combining programme monitoring data with extensive fieldwork in 25 schools. This included interviews with stakeholders at national, provincial, municipal and school level, classroom observations, and focus group discussions with children and caregivers.
Key findings of the evaluation show that the AIC programme is well aligned with national education priorities and international commitments to improve foundational learning. Schools demonstrated stronger learner engagement, consistent use of level-based grouping, and wider uptake of child-centred pedagogies among teachers. Improvements were particularly visible in schools with strong leadership and active mentoring support. However, structural challenges in the Angolan education system partially affected the consistency of implementation across provinces. System awareness of data use is improving, but institutional capacity to collect, manage and use data effectively needs further investment.
PPMI | Part of Verian Group evaluation proposed and validated five operational and three strategic recommendations for strengthening programme design, coordination mechanisms, data systems and sustainable policy adoption. These insights aim to help guide UNICEF and the Government of Angola as they plan the next phase of AIC scale-up.
The evaluation report is available on UNICEF Angola’s website.
