A research conducted by the USAID has shown an improvement in reading culture among children in primary schools in Eastern Province.
Eastern Province Education Officer Lina Kamanga says 89 percent among grade two learners in 2012 improved by 39 percent in 2013.
Ms Kamanga said the improvement which was recorded in the lower grades of primary school was made in local language and English.
Ms Kamanga said this at the official handover of reading tools to Government in Eastern Province by the USAID.
She noted that reading is a vital skill which all learners must possess in order for one to perform well in all subjects across the curriculum and to find livelihood easy to cope with as literacy is the key in day to day lives.
And Provincial Education standards officer, Kondwani Nyirenda said the progress is being witnessed as a result of concerted joint efforts of the government, development partners and the private sector.
Mr. Nyirenda said the gesture by Invest Trust Bank, Maiden Publishing House and Finance Bank to support the improvement of literacy and learner achievement is in line with the government’s policy to improve education in the country and is highly appreciated.
Speaking earlier USAID /Read to Succeed Project (RTS) chief of party Dr.Tassew Zewdie noted that to improve reading skills learners need more time and a variety of relevant reading materials to practice reading hence the reading tools initiative.
Dr. Zewdie said the reading tools box is an initiative under the read to succeed project whose ultimate goal is to increase learner performance in early grade reading in government schools.
He said RTS works hand in hand with the Ministry of Education to improve teacher effectiveness, instruction leadership of head teachers and their deputies, school-based learner assessment practice and learner support and services in schools.
He noted that a total of 995 schools in the country are sponsored by the private sector to receive at least one of the reading materials amounting to K1, 253,700.
And Invest Trust Bank Plc Head of Public Sector and Non Profit Institutions Mr.Zefnant Sakala said the bank aims to improve the lives of the general citizenry.
Mr. Sakala said it was for this reason that his bank has made a contribution of USD20,000 towards the initiative.
He said the bank will endeavour to support quality education and initiatives aimed at improving access to education.
This approach has to be encouraged throughout the whole country. We are all complaining about lack of reading culture in the country due to high illiteracy levels and this has a direct negative impact on the economy itself and also when it comes to issues on voting apathy. When you are not aware of what is happening in the country, economically and otherwise, why waste time to cue up to cast a vote. If we can have our young generation brought up to standard in terms of reading, then they shall with time be in-charge of their own future, thus politicians will not play around with their know how. I do not blame politicians, because to them leading uneducated masses they are playing out of traps. The fact is they (politicians) are aware that people are so ignorant to an extent that they are
Reading is also a joyous activity for children. Once they get the skills to read adequately they can go into a creative space that helps to learn about the world they live in.
I think Zambian language skills must also be of prime importance. It helps to form personal identity in a child’s life.
Some of the bloggers on this site think English only, is of prime importance. It makes you weep, how detached they are from their country’s identity.
This should be applauded. We need to develop a reading culture if we have to develop as a nation.
GOOD, NOW OUR MBUYAS CAN GIVE THEIR CHILDREN BETTER
NAMES.
DO YOU RECALL THAT CHAP ” ELECTION PHIRI”
The East has always been smart, you are showing ignorance by thinking the east is only the Ngonis of Chipata. Per Capita my people have always by far valued education. We were always marginalized, now the sun has shown; the next step is to canonize e-books with tranarion of culture, science, arts and mathematics into local vernacular.
Do you know the chap, ECL President Lungu?
@Nzelu
What do you mean, “We were always marginalized”? May be you were a toddler when Easterners were KK’s darling, favoured ones, bossom buddies, from 1964 to when frustrated Zambians had had enough of his stup!d wako ni wanga philosophy and contemptuously kicked him out. That’s 27 years that Easterners were having it nice. If you are an eastern and failed to take advantage of KK’ bias towards his people you have only yourself to blame. In those days, if your name was Ngulube, Daka, Lungu, Banda, Zulu, Navutika, Phiri, Mabvuto, you didn’t even need a certificate and education, your name was all you needed to get yourself a cozy job in govt. When were you marginalized?
Keep it up. Make sure you thank the people who are footing the bill. Many times we get help from organizations but never make formal thank you in public. Donors would like to know that you appreciate what their help.
Reading and understanding are the GATEWAYS to higher education. We have a lot of copper under our land but we do not know the processes for getting it out of the ground and marketing it on the world markets for our own good. We have to employ others to do it for us. Remember – THE FUTURE BELONGS ONLY TO THOSE WHO INVEST IN IT . It starts with reading writing and understanding. The information is all out there for the taking. We are here (50 years after independence) because of what we did or did not do 50 years ago.