In-depth evidence synthesis and meta-analysis of Save the Children’s catch-up club programme: A multi-country comparison

Background: COVID-19 raised learning poverty to 70% in some low- and middle-income countries, with ten-year-olds unable to read and understand simple text. To address this challenge, Save the Children introduced Catch-up Clubs (CuCs), a remedial, community-based, programme, designed to raise literacy and social and emotional learning of primary school children that are falling behind. Aim: This retrospective study synthesised evidence from five low-income countries where the CuC programme has been implemented, to (i) establish the overall success and generalisability of the programme in different contexts and (ii) identify variables that influenced inequalities in literacy outcomes. Methods: An in-depth evidence synthesis and meta-analysis was conducted on country reports and existing datasets from five countries: Bangladesh, Malawi, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Colombia. Results: Secondary data analyses revealed a positive effect of the CuC programme on literacy outcomes in each of the five countries investigated and improved social and emotional learning in three countries. Generic (baseline literacy) and country-specific variables (sex and language in Malawi and sex in Bangladesh) had a significant impact on children’s literacy attainment. Conclusions: Despite important methodological caveats that may have influenced the findings, CuCs appear to have a positive impact on children’s learning outcomes and overall well-being that are generalisable across different contexts.