Keeping children in school in Cabo Verde through digital remedial learning
The Learning Passport is supporting children at risk of dropping out and improving their learning outcomes
Cabo Verde’s journey toward quality education for all is marked by important progress, especially in early childhood education. Yet the Small Island Developing State continues to face challenges as it works to recover from COVID-19-related learning losses. When schools opened again after the pandemic, learning losses were apparent, especially in Grade 4 students. The failure rates were high among these learners, and students risked repeating the year or dropping out altogether.
To address this challenge, the Ministry of Education, supported by UNICEF, introduced the Learning Passport to help the most vulnerable learners catch up and stay in school. The pilot focused on supporting the most marginalized Grade 4 children in three public schools in Praia. Across these schools, around 50 students had already failed Grade 4 three or more times and were navigating social vulnerability. The Ministry prioritised this group to explore how digital tools, combined with in-person teaching, could support learning recovery for those at highest risk of dropping out.
In this pilot phase, the Learning Passport Cabo Verde had three core objectives:
- Increasing students’ motivation and enjoyment of learning.
- Strengthening knowledge in core topics such as Portuguese, mathematics and integrated sciences.
- Enhancing teachers’ access to and use of digital resources in the classroom.
Preparing teachers and classrooms
The Ministry and UNICEF focused on key activities to support a positive classroom experience:
- Leading an ‘Open Day’ to introduce the project to teachers, students and families.
- Establishing a dedicated digital classroom in each school with tablets and headphones, internet connectivity, and a projector. One of the teachers noted that this new setting resonated strongly with students, describing it as “their world.”
- Delivering ongoing training for four teachers on using the platform, integrating lessons into their planning and managing a digital classroom.
- Ensuring regular ICT support and follow-up with teachers from school leaders, regional services, and central Ministry teams.
Between April and June 2025, teachers delivered 10 Learning Passport-supported classes (around 20 hours of guided digital learning), which included practical demonstration sessions to help students get accustomed to the tablets and digital classrooms.
From early struggles to growing confidence
Previously, teachers reported difficulties among students in oral and especially written Portuguese, basic arithmetic and calculations, as well as grasping key concepts in science. However, within the first weeks of implementation, teachers observed positive shifts in student engagement.
“Students were very satisfied because they had different classes, with diverse exercises, colourful images, and games provided by Learning Passport,” shared Neusa, a teacher.
Another teacher, Jacqueline also noted that the “classes with Learning Passport helped students become more focused, attentive, and better behaved. I have a student who is shy and does not participate much in regular classes, but when it comes to Learning Passport classes, he is more expressive and engaged in practical activities.”
Into the second month of the pilot, an assessment was conducted in all three subjects to see how students’ learning had evolved. The results were mixed but encouraging:
- Students showed stronger foundations in math and greater confidence with calculation and sequencing tasks.
- Challenges in literacy and some science concepts persisted, especially writing longer words and interpreting data.
- Despite these challenges, all students demonstrated good oral comprehension.
Teachers and students also reported that the Learning Passport made learning more engaging and enjoyable. As Neusa noted, “Students were motivated to perform activities to show what they had learned and earn points,” highlighting the value of gamified features in driving engagement and progress.
By July, two of the three classes showed a clear improvement in learning outcomes: with more than half of the students passing the test. In the third class, the number of students who passed and failed was similar, but overall performance in integrated sciences improved, with most students achieving “Satisfactory” and “Good.”
While many factors likely contributed – including smaller groups, closer follow-up and stronger pedagogical support – it is evident that the Learning Passport played an important role as part of this wider support package.
Digital tools with teacher support
The pilot highlights the need for a holistic approach, showing that digital tools and digital learning are not enough, and that sustained pedagogical support for teachers is essential for transforming digital opportunities into meaningful learning gains. Key lessons included:
- Continued support for teachers: Teachers benefit from regular help from both the coordination team and project staff, especially when planning lessons that mix non-digital and digital activities.
- Students with greater learning difficulties require additional support, ensuring that digital content is complemented with targeted support and remediation is vital.
- Regular monitoring and coaching from school, regional and central levels helps teachers adjust their practice and make better use of available tools.
The results from this small-scale pilot provides compelling evidence of how the Learning Passport, when paired with strong human support, can help the most vulnerable students learn and gain the skills they need for a brighter future.
Building on success
To ensure the long-term impact of the Learning Passport in Cabo Verde, the Ministry of Education has developed a strategy focused on sustainability, system strengthening and expansion. Immediate priorities include strengthening the pedagogical support provided by the school coordination team, producing and updating interactive content, and increasing follow-up and monitoring by both local and central education teams.
In the next phase, UNICEF hopes to extend access to seven more schools and reach 800 additional students. Building on the vision of UNICEF’s Digital Education Strategy, this expansion will be supported by new customized content, the adaptation and use of existing extracurricular content from the Global Learning Passport, and continued efforts to document and share learning from the pilot.
