A new report shows that six out of ten children worldwide cannot read simple sentences or solve basic math problems, even though a third are currently in school. This has raised major concerns about education quality in many poor countries. Kenya leads its East African neighbors in mathematics proficiency levels.
The People’s Action for Learning (PAL) Network has released a report assessing learning outcomes for 89,870 children aged 5 to 16 in 12 countries. The study in Kenya took place in the first week of January and the second week of August, involving 6,669 children and 4,459 families. Participating countries include Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Senegal, Mali, Mozambique, Botswana, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, Mexico, and Nicaragua.
The report highlights that school attendance alone does not guarantee actual learning. In Kenya, 43% of 10-year-olds achieve Minimum Proficiency Levels (MPL) in mathematics, compared to 33% in Tanzania and 4% in Uganda. MPL covers basic reading comprehension and math skills such as completing numbers up to 100 and simple arithmetic.
Kenya shows some progress but still trails countries like Mexico, Nicaragua, and Pakistan. Over 80% of Kenyan children aged 10-14 attend public schools, 16% private schools, and fewer than 2% are out of school. Kenya has the smallest proportion of out-of-school children globally.
Ministry of Education Director Martin Kungania stated: “There is a need to reassess teaching materials in our schools to ensure they align with the mathematics curriculum in our classrooms.” The report underscores ongoing challenges like teacher shortages and lack of learning materials.