Later
this week, Uwezo, will launch the annual learning assessment report. Previous
reports have shown that learning levels are low and remained static; less than
one third of children in standard 3 posses basic numeracy and literacy skills.
Why are our children not learning?
What
is most disconcerting however is that learning outcomes are lower in rural,
arid and poorer households across the country. Pass rates in numeracy and
literacy were highest in Nairobi and Central Kenya and lowest in counties like
Wajir, Turkana, Garissa, Mandera and Tana River. Moreover, 90 percent of the
mothers in counties in poor arid and semi-arid counties could not read the
level a standard 2 pupil compared to less than 30 percent of mothers in
counties Central Kenya.
According
to the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey report of 2014, children of mothers
who are illiterate or did not complete primary school are more likely to be
stunted than children born to and raised by mothers with secondary education or
higher.
High
prevalence of stunting converges with mothers’ literacy levels and low level of
learning achievement among children. Our research on spatial patterns of
inequality at the East African Institute suggests that stunting could explain
up to 46 percent of the difference between eight counties (Turkana, Marsabit,
Wajir, Mandera, Tana River, West Pokot, Garissa, Samburu and Isiolo), and
remaining 38 counties.
Stunting
is a horrific early growth failure and has been described by WHO as the most
significant impediment to human development. Stunting is caused by poor
nutrition and maternal health especially in the first 1,000 days, which is the
first two years from conception. Sadly, the effects of stunting are
irreversible. Children over the age of two years are unlikely to regain lost
development potential and carry long-term deficits in cognitive capacity.
Food for
Thought, a report by Save the Children published in 2013, showed that compared
with normal children, stunted children: score 7 percent lower on math tests;
are 19 percent less likely to be able to read a simple sentence at age 8, and
12 percent less likely able to write a simple sentence; and, are 13 percent
less likely to be able to be in the appropriate grade for their age at school.
Studies
by the World Bank estimate that a one percent loss in height due to stunting
could lead to up to 1.4 percent loss in economic productivity. It is estimated
that 40-67 per cent of the working population Egypt, Ethiopia, Uganda and
Swaziland was stunted as children. Today, this early growth failure costs these
economies between 1.9 and 16.5 percent of GDP.
The African Development Bank estimates the cost of closing
Africa’s infrastructure gap at USD 360 billion, with significant investments
required by 2020. Do we know what it costs to halt the march of malnutrition
and secure the first 1,000 days for all African children?
Together, lets invest in mothers and unborn children to secure
Africa’s future and build a stronger generation.
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