Have you thought of an adult Kenyan today, who cannot read or write an SMS? Last week Kenyans marked the 50th anniversary of the World Literacy Day with evidence showing that 45 percent of the Kenyan mothers cannot read a Class 2 story. This is indeed a grave concern considering the substantial role played by mothers. Studies show that mothers are the greatest source of inspiration and life lessons for a child during growth. The closeness of the mother to the child in their initial period of existence and thereafter is not accidental. The nutrition and comfort that they provide is what the child requires in its tender age.
The importance of a mother in a child’s upbringing and preparation of the child for school need not be emphasized. A mother plays an important role in a child’s development, character and above all attitude.
Unfortunately, a recent report from Twaweza East Africa shows that all is not well with the Kenyan mothers. The report shows that 45 percent of the Kenyan mothers cannot read a Class 2 story. The report further indicates that 11 percent of mothers have no formal education while 63 percent have primary education or less. The situation is grim in the arid counties i.e. Mandera, Wajir and Garissa where 82 percent of adults have never attended school, while only 5 percent of the mothers can read a Class 2 story. This evidently points to the level of inequalities in the Country, both in terms of gender, geographical and economic disparities. Women in urban and more prosperous Counties seem to have more opportunities for education than their counterparts in Counties with rural and economically challenged populations. This goes to show that children from these counties are disadvantaged because they are not able to acquire any level of literacy from their own mothers.
Target 4.6 of the Sustainable Development Goal 4 for education states “by 2030, ensure that all youth and a substantial proportion of adults, both men and women, achieve literacy and numeracy”. Looking at where we are, is this really tenable? The Uwezo 2010 report showed that a girl aged 6-14 years whose mother had no formal schooling was 7 times more likely to be out of school than her peer whose mother had completed primary education. Besides, concern has been raised, that nearly a tenth of learners are completing Class 8 without having covered the basics of reading and math, and thereby recycling illiteracy and innumeracy.
The just ended celebration of the 50th anniversary of the World Literacy Day calls for combination of approaches to achieve the target 4.6. First, is to ensure that by the time children are reaching Class 4, they have covered the basics of literacy and numeracy. The pre-school teachers must ensure that any child completing pre-unit and being sent to primary school is ready for school. Such child must have developed adequate oral language skills, be able to socialize, as well as identify letters and numbers. The teachers in lower primary school must ensure that no child crosses to Class 4 without having covered the basics of literacy and numeracy. This will ensure that our children have attained the basic knowledge required for literacy.
A second approach will be to popularize and make available adult literacy and numeracy programs. At the moment, the Uwezo report establishes that only 15 percent of the visited villages in 2015 had adult learning centers. If children are to learn, then we must make effort in ensuring that their parents are also learning. This will in turn create an atmosphere where both the child and the parent can easily relate on matters of literacy. In any case, now than ever before, literacy has emerged as a leading survival, self-fulfillment and self-advancement skill. It is only through Literacy that we can change the status of our nation and above all impact positively into the life of a child. We hope that the education sector can take these two things seriously, and ensure that all Kenyans aged 10 years and above are literate.
Ms. Izel Kipruto and Ms. Vivian Amondi are researchers with Twaweza East Africa. The article does not necessarily represent the opinion of Twaweza. For feedback, send an email to ikipruto@twaweza.org