Kilifi, KENYA: A report by a non-governmental organization, Youth Alive. has revealed that 74% of class three pupils cannot do class two work in Kilifi County.
The report also indicates that 7% of pupils in class eight cannot do class two work.
Speaking during the launch of the report on Thursday, Simon Murira, the organization’s coordinator said the education status in Kilifi County is below the national government standards.
He added that Kilifi is ranked 34 out of the 47 counties in Kenya and lies at average level of 47.1 percent and 41.6 percent countrywide educationally.
“Kilifi County is on the lower level of education in this country,” said Murira.
“We have established that the learning outcomes are inequitably distributed and has resulted to negative results. As up to 2015, only 31 percent of class three pupils would read class two story in Malindi compared to 37 percent of in Kilifi district. In Kaloleni, the same year, only 45 percent of class three pupils would do class two Maths compared to 56 percent in Kilifi. This means the schools in urban areas are well staffed than those in the rural areas,” added Murira.
He said teacher’s class attendance is poor compared to that of pupils in the county.
“At the time of visit in the schools involved in the research, 18 percent of teachers were not in school compared to 17 percent of pupils not in class,” Murira said.
However, according to Kilifi County Early Childhood Development Education ECDE director James Angore, Kilifi county government is doing its level best to increase the number of teachers in the ECDE centers.
“We are working around the clock to improve the education standards in the early childhood stages by employing more teachers,” said Angore.
He said since the inception of the county governments, they have managed to employ 700 teachers to serve 810 ECDE centers.
