Only 2% of primary two pupils can read – Report

Madam Guitele Nicoleau, the Chief of Party on Learning on Thursday disclosed that less than two percent of children in primary two are able to read fluently in the Ghanaian and English languages.

She said about 20.4 percent of children in primary three read with minimum competency and proficiency in English. Madam Nicoleau disclosed this during the opening of a two-month Ghanaian language materials development writers’ workshop on learner’s project held in Tamale.

The learner’s project is being funded by USAID and implemented throughout the country aimed at supporting the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service to improve on reading performance in the primary schools.

She said the project policies would improve on teaching and learning materials as well as training and coaching of teachers. She said stakeholders of the project would be monitoring and evaluating as a means of measuring progress and produce evidence which would also increase support for reading at the district, regional and national levels.

According to Madam Nicoleau, 1,700 circuit supervisors and language experts would be benefiting from the districts, while about 6,700 schools and 22,800 teachers would also benefit.

She mentioned that 1.1 million classroom blocks from Kindergarten one-two to primary two pupils would also benefit from the project. Mrs Cynthia Bosumtwi-Sam, the Acting Deputy Director of Ghana Education Service, said the project would solve the national challenges of less reading of children in the country.

She urged the Teachers and Directors of the schools to make use of the learning materials provided to them to enhance quality education in the country.

Dr. Paul Opoku-Mensah, the Senior Language Policy Advisor of Party Learning, stated that, Ghanaian languages should be used as a medium of instruction from Kindergarten to primary three to help the children learn how to read both the local and the English languages.

James Dobson, the Director of Education at USAID, encouraged stakeholders and other partners to support the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service to accomplish the goals of the project.