Are our children learning? Annual learning assessment report Uganda 2012

Vision 2040 was recently launched in Uganda with a clear message that if we don’t ensure our children are learning we will never achieve its ambiti ous goals. Our children deserve a quality basic education. No doubt, massive investments in education have been made over the years. Since 1997 when the UPE Act was passed, official school fees have been eliminated and education has been made accessible for millions more children in Uganda. We have seen significant growth in the number of schools, classrooms and teachers over the past decade. Primary school enrolment rates – for both boys and girls – have also skyrocketed. But as numbers of children going to school increase, is the quality of education improving as well? Are our Children Learning? This report presents the findings of the Uwezo Uganda annual learning assessment. The assessment was conducted between March and April 2012, in 80 Districts countrywide. A total of 81,650 children aged 6-16 years were assessed in basic literacy (English and four local languages) and numeracy. The assessment is based on school and household data. The report has three main sections. The introducti on section gives an overview of the processes and tools, including an overview of key findings. The second section is a national report, while the last section presents a regional focus on the findings. The research was undertaken by Uwezo, meaning ‘capability’ in Kiswahili, an initiati ve that seeks to improve literacy and numeracy levels among children aged 6-16 years in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, through an innovative, citizen-driven and public accountability approach to social change.