Nairobi tops in reading and maths

Pupils of Caso Upendo Primary School, Nairobi play outside their school in Mathare slums on January 7, 2014. The school performed poorly the last year's KCPE. PHOTO | DENISH OCHIENG (NAIROBI)

What you need to know:

  • So bad is the situation in some regions that the lobby proposes that county governments take charge of the education instead of relying on the national government.
  • Imenti South (Meru), Nyeri South (Nyeri) and Thika West (Kiambu) were ranked fourth, fifth and sixth respectively.
  • Murang’a North (Murang’a), Naivasha (Nakuru), Keiyo (Elgeyo Marakwet), and Githunguri (Kiambu) completed the list of top 10 districts whose pupils were highly rated in terms of reading and arithmetic.

Pupils in Nairobi and Kiambu counties are top of the class in terms of literacy and numeracy skills, according to a new report.

The report released by lobby group Uwezo Kenya Wednesday, ranks Westlands District in Nairobi County as the area with the brightest pupils aged between 10 and 16.

Pupils from the district are nine times more likely to read out passages and perform simple arithmetic, compared to those from East Pokot, the area whose learners are ranked as the poorest in the skills.

So bad is the situation in some regions that the lobby proposes that county governments take charge of the education instead of relying on the national government.

“This inequality, if not addressed, then our children in these regions will be locked out of not only local opportunities, but opportunities on the global arena,” Dr John Mugo, the coordinator of Uwezo Kenya, said.

“It is worrying that there are children who go to school but do not learn as expected; we have been to schools where on many school days each year, no learning happens.”

The study found out that one in 10 pupils in Standard Four to Eight in East Pokot, Baringo County can hardly read or do simple math meant for a class two pupil. Worse still, six in every 10 children in the county are not enrolled in school, despite free primary education.

These disturbing statistics are reflected in more than half of the districts in the country, especially those in arid and under-developed districts.

“To salvage this generation (of pupils), resources must be re-distributed to ensure that learning outcomes are not only improved, but are also equitable,’ Dr Mugo said.

Commenting on the findings for East Pokot District, Baringo county education executive Emily Kibet said the region would build new nursery school classes to ensure children started learning early.

She, however, said that there were challenges of inadequate number of schools, severe drought, shortage of teachers and negative perception towards education among the parents in the region.

Two districts from Kiambu county — Kikuyu and Ruiru — were ranked second and third in the report.

Imenti South (Meru), Nyeri South (Nyeri) and Thika West (Kiambu) were ranked fourth, fifth and sixth respectively.

Murang’a North (Murang’a), Naivasha (Nakuru), Keiyo (Elgeyo Marakwet), and Githunguri (Kiambu) completed the list of top 10 districts whose pupils were highly rated in terms of reading and arithmetic.

The research was conducted between January and February last year in over 4,500 schools. At least 30 schools were picked per district. 

Overall, about 150,000 pupils between age six and 16 were given Standard Two sample questions to test their English and Swahili comprehension as well as their numeracy skills.