This second week of September 2016 we commemorate the 50th World Literacy Day.
While we acknowledge the progress made to boost literacy in Kenya, we must admit that progress has been slow.
The latest Uwezo assessment report on learning outcomes shows that 70 percent of Class 3 children cannot read a Class 2 story.
My recent experience in Migori County left me discouraged to say the least. Children in Classes 5 and 6 cannot correctly spell simple words like “power”.
While asked to spell the word ‘cough’, many Class 6 children wrote coff, cove, couf, and even coffee.
This is the sad reality. Just visit any public primary school in Kenya, get a Class 6 child and give him/her Class 4 English questions like reading and comprehending a story. You will be baffled.
Illiteracy is a problem which repeats itself in various fronts. For instance, children who cannot comprehend have obvious problems with mathematics.
A majority of them cannot solve word problems in numeracy. This is indeed sad considering the enormous effort and resources the education sector continues to receive. Kenyan children, especially those in public schools are the worst at it.
In the next two years the most excluded children in Classes 6 who cannot read or construct simple sentences will sit for their Kenya Certificate of Primary Education examination. You can imagine the kind of English compositions they will write.
The problem of illiteracy emanates from both the home and school surroundings. Studies show that mother’s characteristics are imperative in promoting school readiness.
Twaweza East Africa recent report indicates that 45% of Kenyan mothers cannot read a Class two level story. Here we have mothers who cannot read coupled with children who cannot read.
To add salt to injury, teachers teaching these children are much alive to the fact that children cannot spell simple words, read and even comprehend. Some teachers cannot help much because they handle large classrooms and are not motivated.
One teacher put it this way “The President should know that teachers are not committed at all, we just move with fast learners. How can you teach 90 pupils in a Class when you earn peanuts and the Members of County Assembly are rolling with huge money yet they do little?”
Indeed, it is a great deprivation when children do not acquire the basics in literacy at primary school. Yet, literacy is key to one’s survival in today’s world.
The illiterate folks face a couple of challenges navigating a literacy-based world especially where almost everything is technologically driven. They are closed out from social media and access to information and opportunities. Think of being denied a job because you cannot spell a word correctly.
Moreover, in places where culture supersedes education, the illiterate children especially girls are likely to be married off after completing Class 8 as they cannot join secondary schools. With this trend, we will keep recycling illiteracy and therefore as the generations come and go, the literacy levels will remain stagnant.
As a country, we need to move forward and adopt technology as it unfolds. The rate at which technology is taking over the world requires that our children are at per. This can only be achieved when reasonable levels of literacy is attained.
This year the World Literacy day calls for innovative ways to improve literacy among our children. For instance, how can Kenyans leverage on technology to boost literacy acquisition.
How can parents support learning at home and how can home environments be reorganized to support literacy development in greater ways?
How do we transform the teaching and learning of reading in a sustainable way? Curbing illiteracy menace calls for creative ideas of Kenyans and this is everyone’s responsibility.
We all have a big role to play when it comes to educating our children because it is only through education that we can bring a positive notable change in the society.
Let us all innovate and invest in our children’s education. Ensuring that all children are literate is smart economics.
By Izel Kipruto