A total of 27 mentor teachers from the Catch-Up Club (CuC) Program across three sub-districts—Lotu, Lahewa, and Afulu—participated in the third round of reflection, coaching, and mentoring sessions held on January 28–29, 2026, in Nias Utara Regency. Initiated by the KREASI Program in Nias Utara, the activity aimed to evaluate students’ learning achievements while strengthening literacy support strategies for the upcoming round.
The reflection session for mentor teachers from Lahewa and Afulu sub-districts was held on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, and attended by 15 teachers. Meanwhile, the session for mentor teachers from Lotu Sub-district took place on Thursday, January 29, 2026, with 12 teachers in attendance. The activity served as a collaborative space for teachers to present program achievements, discuss challenges, and formulate strategies to strengthen supplementary learning for students.
The Catch-Up Club Program is a supplementary learning initiative designed for Grade 2–3 elementary students who experience difficulties in foundational literacy. The program aims to reduce the risk of grade repetition and school dropout through structured learning, continuous assessment, and intensive teacher mentoring. Implementation began with master teacher (MT) training in October 2025, followed by a baseline assessment of 505 students across seven target schools, which indicated a high prevalence of foundational literacy challenges.
Monitoring results show an upward trend in student learning outcomes. The participant completion rate increased from an average of 20 percent in the first round to 34 percent in the second round. Several schools even recorded improvements of over 40 percent.
During the discussion session in Lotu Sub-district, mentor teacher Yuspita from a local public elementary school shared her experience with a student who initially struggled academically but demonstrated significant progress after participating in the program and ultimately passed the assessment. She expressed hope that the duration of activities in the fourth round could be extended to optimize students’ learning time.
In response, KREASI affirmed that students who are still lagging behind will continue to receive support through the fourth round using more creative and contextualized learning approaches. The team also emphasized that assessment results from each round will serve as a basis for joint evaluation with the local government to strengthen the program moving forward.
In addition, the discussion addressed several technical aspects of implementation, such as regrouping students based on their learning levels, mechanisms for substitute teachers during leave, daily session duration, and plans to expand learning support to numeracy. Input from mentor teachers will inform improvements in the next program cycle.
Overall, the third-round reflection demonstrated that the Catch-Up Club Program has had a positive impact on improving students’ foundational literacy skills in Nias Utara Regency. Through regular reflection, strengthened teacher capacity, and sustained mentoring, the program is considered worthy of continuation and replication as an educational intervention model for students requiring additional learning support.
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The Program of KREASI or Kolaborasi untuk Edukasi Anak Indonesia (Collaboration for the Education of Indonesian Children) is funded by the Global Partnership for Education, developed by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, and the Ministry of Religious Affairs. KREASI is being implemented by Save the Children with Article 33 Indonesia nd support by the Government of Nias Utara. KREASI aims to improve the quality of education in Nias Utara by strengthening teaching, learning, and student development.
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Writer: Calvin Telaumbanua | Editor: Nabila Aulia | Photo: Calvin Telaumbanua/KREASI/Article 33 Indonesia/Save the Children