Illiteracy reducing but still a challenge

 

By Paul Tentena
ALThough the illiteracy level is dropping, it is still a key factor hampering development in the country.

According to the Uganda Household Survey Report of 2002/2003, the illiteracy rate in the country is at 31%, conflicting with the provisional results of the population census of 2002 which indicated that the literacy level had improved to 70%.

The Household Survey report also indicates that the literacy rate for women is at 51% compared to 77% of men.

On average, 200,000 adults enrol for

educational programmes every year

Close to 4.9 million Ugandans, almost 3.1 million women are still illiterate and this is a big setback.

Literacy Network for Uganda carried out a study The Public private Partnership in Adult basic Education (PPPABE) where Dick Francis Tumusiime, the chairperson, says that the study was sought to explore how the partnership can work in the delivery of adult literacy and basic education.

“The study was aimed at deepening our understanding of the roles different actors can play in the delivery of adult basic education hence reducing illiteracy levels,” says Tumusiime.

Herbert Baryayebwa, the commissioner for elderly and disability at the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, says Function Adult Literacy (FAL) programme commissioned in 1992 in eight districts in the country has done a big mileage in changing the illiteracy levels.

He says it expanded to national coverage, with now over 800 sub-counties catered for in the programme.

“Despite the big coverage, the Government and civil society organisations have only 4.3% coverage of those in need of adult literacy,” Baryayebwa adds.

“There is a need to teach people different languages and this does not signify literacy, but it improves on ones understanding,” stresses Thomas Ongom of Prime Language Educational Services.

Baryayebwa says the literacy levels’ situation changed when the Government provided Poverty Action Fund funding and created districts where FAL conditional grants were provided.

He says that on average, 200,000 adults are enrolled for educational programmes every year and at least those in need of adult literacy education are catered for.