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Weekly 20-minute phone tutoring improved maths across five countries during closures
Five randomized trials during school disruptions found gains from roughly 20 minutes of weekly, level-targeted phone tutoring. Division accuracy in the calls-plus-SMS arm was 13.5 percentage points above control.
The active ingredient was pedagogy, not the device: tutors asked questions and adjusted feedback to each child’s level. Text messages alone produced smaller, less consistent results.
Who delivered it?
Trials compared NGO aides and government teachers; Nepal and the Philippines randomized the delivery model.
Meaning of 13.5 points
Control accuracy was 14.6%, so the absolute gain was a 92% relative increase. Average effects were 0.30–0.35 standard deviations.
Could governments deliver?
Government teachers improved 0.40 operation levels in pooled tests and NGO aides 0.30, but national-scale and long-term effects remain unknown.
Cost
Authors estimate about four years of high-quality instruction per US$100. Local telecom, staffing and implementation costs can change that comparison.
Next check
Scale-ups should track participation, retention, classroom integration and caregiver burden. The method supports continuity; it does not replace school.
Primary source and independent checks
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