World Bank report reveals reasons behind low learning levels

Dar es Salaam. Education stakeholders have attributed the low literacy levels in Tanzania among pupils aged between 10 and 14 to the decline of budgetary allocations to the sector.

They were reacting to the findings of a new report by the World Bank titled ‘Ending Learning Poverty: What Will it Take?’

The report, which was released yesterday - and which coincided with the ‘Eradication of Poverty Day’ - shows that 87 per cent of school-age children aged between 10-and-14 in sub-Saharan Africa cannot comprehend a short, simple story. The report also indicates that numeracy rates among children aged between 10-and-14 in the region stand at 80 per cent.

Speaking during the launching of the report, World Bank Education specialist Gemma Todd said that, despite the increase in school enrollment in Tanzania since 2015, the share of total budget-to-education has declined from 19 -to-16 per cent.

She said per primary school student, spending declined from Sh335,891 in the 2016/17 financial year to Sh220,566 in the current financial year.

According to her, this comes at a time when there is a need to work on the quality of education, especially at the time that a ratio of pupil per classroom stands at 1:82, while that of pupil versus teacher stands at 1:58.

She noted that children enrolled in school are increasingly of the correct age - and more children are completing their primary education.

World Bank acting country manager Denis Biseko said there is a real need for action to reduce by a half the number of children who cannot read, and also lack numeracy skills.

The HakiElimu executive director, John Kalage, said poor training of teachers was partly to blame for most of school children’s literacy and numeracy skill levels. Furthermore, Tanzania has also not fully embraced ICT even as this is now a crucial part of human life.

Tusiime School assistant manager Laurent Gama said addressing “learning poverty” requires a serious investment in early learning - that is: pre-primary and primary education.

According to him, early learning programmes are crucial, as they were designed to promote children’s intellectual development, socio-emotional development, language development, and physical development from birth to the age of 8-10 years.

“Given this importance, early learning programmes and activities must aim at giving to a child positive schooling and learning experiences that would act as a solid foundation for a person’s productive life, personal development - and for lifelong learning,” he said.

Last year, the WB launched the Human Capital Project to help countries invest more—and do so more effectively—in their people.

The Human Capital Index (HCI) shows that, globally, productivity of the average child born today is expected to be only 56 per cent of what it would be if countries invested enough in health and education.

In Africa, according to the report, the equivalent number is only 40 per cent.