It has been revealed that only two percent of Ghanaian Class Two pupils can read fluently in English and indigenous languages.
The percentage is slightly better with Class Three pupils with about 20 percent of them being able to read in English with minimum proficiency and capacity.
This was disclosed by Guitele Nicoleau, the Chief of Party-Ghana Learning, at an education workshop in Tamale in the Northern Region.
The workshop is part of a project funded by the international development agency, USAID, that would see about 23,000 teachers benefiting from a training scheme.
According Nicoleau, an additional 1,700 circuit supervisors and language experts across the country’s districts would benefit from the new teaching and learning materials.
The Ghana News Agency reports that “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.”
Analysis
Class sizes in Ghana’s public schools are usually very high which makes it difficult for teachers to supervisor their students on an individual basis. The probably is compounded by the lack of reading materials leaving pupils with no option but to share one text book with many other classmates.