[A makeshift structure of sticks as a classroom for pupils to learn in. According to a recent study, only 13 out of 100 Class 3 children able to attempt Class 2 level work] (File)
Garissa County seems to lag behind in education matters, after it was ranked 42nd in the country in a study carried out by Twaweza Kenya on children aged 6-16 years in different schools.
The study showed worrying results, with only 13 out of 100 Class 3 children able to attempt Class 2 level work, while six out of 100 Class 8 children were not able to do Class 2 level work.
These facts underline the weak foundation the children are receiving in their early years, affecting their general performance in national examinations.
Pregnancy among school-going children is also a big issue in the county, with none of the girls in both Ijara and Lagdera Districts returning to school after pregnancy.
The county government seems to be promoting early childhood learning, supporting eight out of 10 ECDE centres in the county, which is twice the national average.
However, learning at the centres is not of quality, with four out of 10 ECDE teachers in the county not properly trained, compared to 6 out of 10 nationally.
According to the study, girls boast higher literacy levels in both English and Kiswahili, but performs poorly when compared to the national average.
Ijara District, which is ranked in position 143 out of 153 in the country has seven teachers per school with 10 streams, while Lagdera District, which is ranked at 130 has six teachers for a similar school.