Curbing low literacy levels levels

What you need to know:

Have you considered that instead of whining about the poor literacy levels of our students, you could buy a book for a learner and boost their reading culture? Or you could read with them and make the activity fun.

Disquieting figures in the literacy and numeracy levels of school-going children has been a concern in Uganda for some years now. According to Uwezo Uganda 6th Learning Assessment Report 2016 for example, some of the major findings was the scanty numbers of children who could ably read.

The report indicated that three out of 10 pupils (between Primary Three and Primary Seven) could read an English story and do division. In Primary Three and Seven, only two out of 10 could read and understand an English story, and things do not get any better. Between Primary Three and Primary Seven, 56 out of 100 could read and understand a Primary Two level English story in urban areas whereas 35 out of 100 living in rural areas could read and understand a Primary Two level English story.

Brian Mugisha, a Primary Six pupil at Nakivubo Blue Primary School, believes this challenge begins early in life. “In many homes, reading is something you do at school, not at home. At home, you play, you do house chores, and you tend to babies. You watch Television and go to the village during holidays. The closest thing to reading you do are the alphabet charts – which also get boring after you have learnt them.

At school, the teacher mostly reads. They can teach you words, but if you are told to read a story, things get really hard. I think that is why reading is very difficult,” he says.
With the slim numbers of pupils who can read therefore, it comes as no surprise that several individuals and organisations have impressed it upon themselves to improve children’s literacy levels, among which is 40 days over 40 smiles, a non-profit organisation aimed at improving reading for underpriviledged children.

“If seven out of 10 children cannot read and understand an English story, imagine how much harder it is for a child in a slum area, with unqualified teachers and a broken family? That is where we come in to help these children to read, write and express themselves better. We also work with children who dropped out of school. From reading, to public speaking and fun activities, we simply want to give these children a chance to have a regular childhood and learn something while at it,” Esther Kalenzi, founder of 40 days over 40 smiles (4040) says.

An all-round affair
Whereas people mostly care about literacy of pupils in schools, the Anganza Literacy programme targets both those in and out of school. Angaza, a Swahili word that means to ‘Shine’ is what they want to see all children do – shine. “We believe that the ability to read, write and express oneself gives an individual an edge in the world we live in, and we would like for these children to have that edge,” Pearl Gahwera, 4040 spokesperson, notes.

For those who are in school, 4040 partners with primary schools who give them access to children for six consecutive Friday afternoons during the school term. Currently, they are working with Merowa Junior School Nsambya and Makindye Community Nursery and Primary School. “We focus on making reading fun by using tools such as movies, spelling bees, debates and quiz, among others,” Gahwera explains.

“For those out of school, we partner with communities, where we facilitate half day sessions for four Saturdays. We are currently working with Kibuli, Kibaati and Namuwongo communities. With these, we use practical skills and fun learning ways,” she adds. This term, under the community Angaza, they are implementing a project by Streetlights Uganda, called ‘Bag Yange’ that teaches children to make bags out of the jeans.

“This addresses an everyday need of school bags in vulnerable communities, and can therefore become a source of income for the children. We have a reward system for the best excelling participants to receive tailoring training, as a way of empowering and building capacity to make money by these children,” Gahwera says.
Additionally, anyone can join as a volunteer or intern for the Angaza Literacy programme. All one needs is time and commitment to attend the sessions on Friday, Saturday or both.

Availing books
Like Mugisha noted, absence and limited access to books and other reading materials by children further cripples literacy levels. In agreement to this, Uwezo also assessed that absence of textbooks to children was still a major challenge to Uganda’s education, drastically affecting literacy and numeracy skills among learners.

In a bid to address this, 4040 organised the Angaza Literacy Programme Independence Drive Pop Up Event to encourage young people to buy 40-40 books for their former school, a school in their neighbourhood or hometown or a school of a child in their life.
“There are four 40-40 books, with 18 stories written by 16 Ugandan writers. Our target was to sell 300 books, each at Shs10,000. At the end of the campaign on October 12. We managed to raise Shs4,000,000 for 400 books. Of the 400 books, 100 were donated to Rubaga Boys Prim,ary School by XPLO Media among others,” says Gahwera.

Vital voice
It is important to note that in building literacy muscles in a child, parents play a major and vital role. When a child grows up seeing the parents read, and with books around the home, chances are, they will like reading. Unfortunately, in many of our family settings books and reading is done by the teacher to the child and at school.
Aida Ninsiima Mwebesa, teacher at Dolphin Kindergarten and Daycare

Other interventions
In February this year, the ministry of Education, the United States Agency for International Development and RTI International started the ‘Let’s learn together’ national campaign to encourage parents to help their children to learn and read in their local languages and English in Luweero District. This also involves donating of story cards and textbooks for children.
(Source: URN)

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