Uwezo East Africa Report :: Twaweza.org

Uwezo to launch 2012 East Africa Report

Fri, 03 Aug 2012 11:44:00 +0000

Uwezo will launch its 2012 East Africa report on August 14^th at the Kenya Institute of Education in Nairobi. The Minister of State for the Development of Northern Kenya and other Arid Lands, Hon. Mohammed Ibrahim Elmi, will launch the report.

Uwezo is the largest annual data collection effort in education on the continent, and the only annual source of information regarding numeracy and literacy levels of elementary school-aged children. Household based assessments are done in all 158, 133, and 80 (census) districts in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda respectively. Since inception in 2009, Uwezo has reached a total of 150,000 households, testing more than 350,000 children in basic literacy and numeracy skills. Uwezo has just completed its third year of annual assessments, covering 30 villages per district, 20 households per village and 1 school per village in every district of each of the three countries.

The 2011 assessment found that the majority of students in Standard 3 were unable to complete the Uwezo tests at the Standard 2 level. In Kenya and Uganda, pupils who reached Standard 7 were nearly universally competent at the Standard 2 level; in Tanzania only 50-80 percent were. The 2012 assessment results will reveal if there has been a change in students’ capabilities.

Beyond releasing the 2012 results, the launch will highlight interventions and solutions individuals and organizations are pursuing to improve learning, particularly in the early grades. A Ministry of Education Officer will talk about the inspiring work he is engaged in, expanding access to school and ensuring that children are learning in Northern Kenya. The Aga Khan Foundation will share stories from their ‘Reading to Learn’ program that is being implemented in Kenya and Uganda and soon to be rolled out in Tanzania. The program attempts to improve teachers’ pedagogy skills by offering continuous on-the-job training. Ugandan NGO Mango Tree will also share their insights on using indigenous language and resources to improve children’s learning.

Uganda Government Report Matches Uwezo's Findings on Learning

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 11:59:00 +0000

The Daily Monitor in Uganda reports on the findings from Twaweza partner Uwezo’s recent report on poor numeracy and literacy rates among primary school students in East Africa. Quoting education officials who argue that the Ugandan Government has known about these problems for some time, the article compares Uwezo’s report to Uganda’s National Assessment of Progress in Education (NAPE) and finds that the results are very similar. The NAPE report shows an overall 72.8 per cent proficiency in numeracy and 57.6 per cent in literacy in English in Primary Three, but identifies that Primary Six pupils are not able to tell time on hour and minutes or read a story and comprehend. Read more.

'Let`s Strive for Quality in Primary Education, not Quantity'

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 11:57:00 +0000

The Guardian, a Tanzanian daily, writes that the Government should double its effort to improve the quality of primary education in light of the findings from Twaweza partner Uwezo’s recent report on learning in East Africa. Quoting the report, the article stresses that “the majority of primary school graduates in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania are illiterate and cannot even do basic mathematical problems intended for Standard Two pupils.” The article argues that the quality of primary education should be given due attention, because for many Tanzanian children, it is the only formal education they will get during their lifetimes. Read more.

Kiswahili and English in Tanzanian Schools: Creating Class Divides and Decreasing Educational Standards

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 11:54:00 +0000

Anna Rabin at Thinkafricapress.com argues that language of instruction guidelines in Tanzania’s education system are creating exclusive social and professional classes and undermining many students’ ability to learn as well as the quality of teaching. Rabin reports that Twaweza partner Uwezo’s recent finding that there are standard seven graduates that cannot read and comprehend a story in either Kiswahili or English has given fresh momentum to the debate about the language of instruction in Tanzania. She also shows that poor English competency, which is common even among university graduates, is a barrier to employment in Tanzania’s highly competitive job market. Read more.