7 out of 10 pupils can’t read, count

Pupils listen to their teacher during a class recently. File photo

What you need to know:

Findings. The survey found that 61 per cent of children in Kotido have never been to school while 35 per cent in Nakapiripirit and 27 per cent in Moroto have also never seen a blackboard

Kampala.

Less than half of pupils in Primary Three up to Primary Seven have acquired the competence to count or read Primary Two level material, according to a new report on children learning abilities.

According to the study conducted by Uwezo, only 33 per cent of the pupils evaluated could perform all literacy and numeracy tasks they were given.

A total of 28,147 children were assessed from 17,340 households in 28 districts and 860 head teachers participated in the exercise. The findings also paint a gloomy picture on teacher abilities to train learners.

Of the surveyed districts, Kotido registered the highest number of children who have never gone to school at 61 per cent followed by Nakapiripirit (35 per cent) and Moroto with 27 per cent. The findings are not any different from the previous four studies the organisation has done before.

“… the learning outcomes are even worse when individual grades are considered,” Ms Goretti Nakabugo, the Uwezo director, said yesterday at the release of the 2015 results.
Of the Primary Seven pupils assessed, 74 per cent could read a Primary Two level English story and correctly solve a Primary Two level division.

It was also found out that pupils whose parents have studied have a positive impact on them while private schools continued to outperform government-aided schools.

However, the director of the Directorate of Education Standards Mr Huzaifa Mutazindwa said the Ministry of Education had worked on teacher profile which they will be using to improve on some of the inefficiencies that the report had identified.

Mr Patrick Kaboyo, the executive director Coalition of Education Private School Teachers Association, tasked government to improve Universal Education funding from the current Shs10,000 per year per child if there is going to register positive results in numeracy and literacy skills.

Details
Disparities: The report dubbed “Are our children learning; five stories on the state of education in Uganda in 2015 and beyond” further shows regional disparities in children attending school with Kotido District registering 61 per cent of their children of school going age not in school.