A timely and insightful report on education in East Africa by the civil society group Uwezo has found that although educational access has expanded, issues remain over the quality of teaching and learning.
Uwezo, which means 'capability' in Swahili, was set-up to monitor educational achievement and is the only annual source of information regarding literacy and numeracy levels on the continent. Since its inception in 2009, Uwezo has tested more than 350,000 children in literacy and numeracy.
Its 2012 report, 'Are our children learning?', covered 30 villages per district, 20 households per village and one school per village in every district in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. It was launched at the Kenya Institute of Education in Nairobi on 14 August.
The report found that more than two out of every three children who have finished two years of primary school in East Africa fail to pass basic tests in English, Swahili or numeracy. These results suggest that the vast majority of children are not acquiring the levels expected at their age and grade levels.
In a move that is of particular interest to Elimu, given the emphasis our own work places on teachers and an exchange of teaching ideas and techniques to improve learning, Uwezo has urged politicians, NGOs and educators not to throw more resources at education but to look instead at whether the problem lies with teaching and intervention strategies rather the lack of resources.
With the launch of the new report, Uwezo has sought also to highlight possible solutions, for example, by improving teachers' pedagogical skills with on-the-job training and support.
Having noted that little has changed in classroom teaching in decades, the report stated: "It may be worthwhile to consciously create a culture and room for 'disruptive' ideas and technologies, and test whether innovations and different approaches work better."
More on Uwezo - and its full 2012 report - can be found here http://www.uwezo.net/
With thanks,
Jo
Uwezo, which means 'capability' in Swahili, was set-up to monitor educational achievement and is the only annual source of information regarding literacy and numeracy levels on the continent. Since its inception in 2009, Uwezo has tested more than 350,000 children in literacy and numeracy.
Its 2012 report, 'Are our children learning?', covered 30 villages per district, 20 households per village and one school per village in every district in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. It was launched at the Kenya Institute of Education in Nairobi on 14 August.
The report found that more than two out of every three children who have finished two years of primary school in East Africa fail to pass basic tests in English, Swahili or numeracy. These results suggest that the vast majority of children are not acquiring the levels expected at their age and grade levels.
In a move that is of particular interest to Elimu, given the emphasis our own work places on teachers and an exchange of teaching ideas and techniques to improve learning, Uwezo has urged politicians, NGOs and educators not to throw more resources at education but to look instead at whether the problem lies with teaching and intervention strategies rather the lack of resources.
With the launch of the new report, Uwezo has sought also to highlight possible solutions, for example, by improving teachers' pedagogical skills with on-the-job training and support.
Having noted that little has changed in classroom teaching in decades, the report stated: "It may be worthwhile to consciously create a culture and room for 'disruptive' ideas and technologies, and test whether innovations and different approaches work better."
More on Uwezo - and its full 2012 report - can be found here http://www.uwezo.net/
With thanks,
Jo
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