Job Title

Education Specialist – Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL)

Department

Programme

Reports To

Senior Programme Manager

Location

Kathmandu with frequent travel to UWS Nepal programme districts

About UWS Nepal

United World Schools (UWS) Nepal is committed to ensuring that every child has access to quality education and acquires foundational skills required for lifelong learning. UWS Nepal collaborates closely with schools, communities, local governments and education stakeholders to improve educational quality, equity and learning outcomes through Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN), Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL), teacher professional development, instructional leadership, school improvement and education system strengthening initiatives.

Purpose of the Position

The Education Specialist – TaRL will serve as the lead technical resource for the design, implementation, quality assurance and continuous improvement of UWS Nepal’s TaRL approach. The position will support programmes that assess children’s current learning levels, group learners according to ability rather than grade, deliver targeted literacy and numeracy instruction, and use regular assessment data to improve learning outcomes.

The post holder will bring specialist expertise in foundational learning, TaRL methodology, remedial instruction, simple learning assessment, teacher coaching, mentoring, instructional leadership, programme quality improvement and Nepal’s education system.

Key Responsibilities

1. Technical Leadership in TaRL (30%)

Lead the design, contextualisation, implementation and continuous improvement of UWS Nepal’s TaRL approach for foundational literacy and numeracy.

Provide technical leadership and guidance to programme teams to ensure TaRL implementation is simple, evidence-informed, child-centred and focused on measurable learning gains.

Develop and refine TaRL tools, routines and teaching-learning activities that strengthen children’s basic reading, comprehension, number sense, arithmetic and problem solving skills.

Ensure TaRL interventions are aligned with national priorities, local government plans, global evidence and UWS education quality frameworks.

Contribute to organisational TaRL strategies, foundational learning frameworks, technical standards and scale-up plans.

TaRL Pedagogy, Grouping and Learning Improvement (20%)

Provide technical expertise on TaRL pedagogy, level-based grouping, targeted instruction, competency-based learning, and effective classroom practice.

Promote inclusive, child-centred and developmentally appropriate TaRL activities that respond to learners’ current skill levels.

Support learning camps, remedial cycles, differentiated instruction and level-wise progression so that children move from basic to more advanced learning groups.

Strengthen classroom practices that use simple activities, peer learning, practice opportunities, and frequent checks for understanding to improve learning outcomes.

Teacher Professional Development and Instructional Leadership (20%)

Design and facilitate TaRL-oriented professional development programmes for teachers, head teachers, education coordinators, mentors, and local education stakeholders.

Develop training packages, facilitator guides, practice-based coaching tools, simple assessment protocols and teaching-learning resources for TaRL delivery.

Strengthen systems for TaRL-focused coaching, mentoring, classroom observation, feedback and continuous professional development.

Support instructional leadership initiatives that enable head teachers and education officials to sustain TaRL practices and improve learning outcomes.

TaRL Assessment, Learning Data and Programme Quality (15%)

Lead the development and use of simple TaRL assessment tools to identify children’s current learning levels in reading and arithmetic.

Support teachers and programme teams to group children by learning level, track progress regularly and adapt instruction based on assessment results.

Analyse TaRL assessment data to identify learning gaps, monitorlearner progression, and inform targeted programme improvements.

Collaborate with programme and MEAL teams to integrate TaRL indicators, monitoring tools and quality assurance processes into programme systems.

Stakeholder Engagement, Knowledge Management and Representation (15%)

Serve as UWS Nepal’s technical focal point for TaRL and foundational learning.

Build and maintain effective relationships with government stakeholders, municipalities, schools, development partners, and TaRL technical networks.

Represent UWS Nepal in education forums, technical working groups and sector consultations related to TaRL, FLN and learning recovery.

Document lessons learned, good practices and evidence from TaRL implementation to support programme learning, adaptation and scale-up.

Required Qualifications

Education

Master’s degree in Education, Curriculum Studies, Teacher Education, Educational Leadership, Educational Planning, Assessment and Evaluation, Child Development, Literacy, Mathematics Education or related field.

Additional specialization or training in Teaching at the Right Level, FLN, remedial education, teacher professional development, learning assessment or instructional leadership is desirable.

Experience

Minimum 5 years of progressively responsible experience in education programmes, with substantial experience in foundational learning or learning improvement initiatives.

Significant experience in demonstrating foundational learning, TaRL, remedial education or similar level-based learning improvement programmes.

Experience designing and facilitating teacher professional development programmes focused on TaRL, FLN, remedial pedagogy or classroom-based learning improvement.

Experience in learner assessment, level-based grouping, targeted instruction, instructional coaching, and use of data for programme improvement.

Experience working with government education systems, municipalities, schools, NGOs and development partners to implement, monitor or scale learning improvement programmes.

Essential Technical Competencies

TaRL and Foundational Learning

Deep understanding of TaRL principles, foundational literacy and numeracy, and accelerated learning for children who are below grade-level expectations.

Level-based grouping, targeted instruction and child-centred TaRL classroom activities.

Basic reading, comprehension, expression, number sense, arithmetic, reasoning and problem-solving.

Simple assessment, learner grouping, progress tracking, and use of assessment data for instruction and course correction.

Learning camps, remedial cycles, and practical strategies for helping children progress quickly from their current learning level.

Child Learning, Inclusion and Education Quality

Child development and learning theories.

Early grade and primary education.

Inclusive and child-centered education approaches.

Foundational learning improvement through TaRL, remedial learning, and targeted instruction.

Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI).

Knowledge of Nepal’s Education Sector, including

School Education Sector Plan (SESP).

National Curriculum Framework and Basic Education Curriculum.

National Strategy for Foundational Learning and relevant TaRL, FLN and learning recovery initiatives.

Teacher Professional Development Framework.

Federal, provincial and local education governance structures.

Functions of CEHRD, CDC, ERO, and local governments.

Teacher Professional Development and Instructional Leadership

Adult learning principles.

Teacher coaching and mentoring for TaRL classroom practice, learner grouping, and use of assessment data.

Classroom observation and feedback focused on TaRL routines, learner participation, and progress against learning levels.

School improvement and instructional leadership.

Core Competencies

Strategic Thinking

Technical Leadership

Stakeholder Engagement and Influencing

Results Orientation

Planning and Organising

Commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Safeguarding and Child Protection

The post holder will adhere to UWS Nepal’s Child Protection and Safeguarding Policies and ensure that all programme activities promote child safety, wellbeing, inclusion, dignity and rights. Compliance with safeguarding requirements is mandatory and will be assessed throughout the recruitment process.