0 per cent of P7 pupils can’t read their local language - report BY KIHEMBO WILBERT

0 per cent of P7 pupils can’t read their local language - report

BY KIHEMBO WILBERT

The government’s policy on local languages is yet to yield fruits as a new report has shown that only three out of 10 interviewed children in Primary Seven can read and comprehend in their mother tongue.

The findings are contained in a 2014 Uwezo report released on Thursday. The report further paints a gloomy picture on Uganda’s basic education with only two pupils out of 10 in Primary Seven, the last cycle of primary education, able to solve Primary Two numeracy questions.

The survey was conducted in 2013 among 87,339 children aged between six and 16 from 80 districts. Uganda has 112 districts. The pupils were subjected to Primary Two level numeracy and literacy tasks.

“Three out of 10 pupils in Primary Seven were able to read and comprehend a Primary Two local language story. Almost two out of 10 pupils in Primary Three assessed in both English language and their local languages were able to read and comprehend a Primary Two English story while one out of 10 pupils was able to read and comprehend in Luganda, Runyoro/Rutoro, Ateso and Leblango,” reads part of the report.

The government reviewed the primary curriculum to thematic curriculum in 2007 to address the literacy and numeracy weaknesses, the overcrowded curriculum and promote lifelong skills among children.

Under this curriculum, local languages are used as a medium of instruction from Primary One to to Primary Three (lower primary) before switching to English language in Primary Four.
The guideline was later relaxed to allow urban schools to use English as a medium of communication, something that has drawn criticism.

The Uwezo country director, Ms Goretti Nakabugo, noted that the curriculum being taught is far ahead of children and that only one in every five Primary Four English language and Mathematics teachers have mastered the curriculum they are teaching. She also added that children with the ability to read in their local languages have better command of the English language and can easily relate with their environment.

Mr Tony Lusambu, the assistant commissioner for primary education, said the government had received a grant of $100m (Shs300b) from World Bank which will be used to train teachers in literacy and improve the current ratio of three pupils sharing a textbook to one.

“Although education receives a lion’s share of national budget, we need to compare it with the enrolment which shoots up every year. We need more teachers, classrooms and textbooks every year. Is this translated into the money I receive in the budget every year?” Mr Lusambu asked.

Mr James Tweheyo, the Uganda National Teachers’ Union general secretary, explained that there is need to motivate teachers to do their work.
“There is teacher discomfort, resignation and withdrawal. Teachers are not only physically absent but also mentally absent at school. We are talking of building teachers’ morale to be able to do their job,” Mr Tweheyo said.

“When we talk of ministry of Education officials, these people are as incapacitated as these teachers they are supervising. We would like to reach a situation where every pupil is able to read and count and until we create a platform to look at our weaknesses and achievements, we will not take this country forward,” he added.

OTHER FINDINGS
The report notes that children with nursery school background, literate mothers and parental involvement in education have better learning outcomes.