Gov’t,Global Partnership For Education Hails Improvement In Mathematics in Primary Schools

BARINGO,Kenya, Dec, 14 – The Government through a Global Partnership for Education Programme (GPE) has radically improved the teaching and learning of Mathematics in public primary Schools in the country.

Learners who have benefited from the project demonstrate improved mastery of elementary principles of mathematics, an Education official in charge of Early Grade Mathematics aspect of the Kenya Primary Education Development (PRIEDE), Mrs. Hellen Buruet has said.

She made the remarks when at Moi Primary School Kabartonjo in Baringo County on Friday.

Buorett had led a section of a Joint Closing support Mission assessing the impact of the project which, among other objectives, sought to improve the teaching and learning of mathematics in grades one to three in Public Primary Schools in the country.

Buruet said the proportion of pupils who attained Minimum Competency in the Achievement Tests mathematics of 50% during the baseline survey in 2016 was 79.1% which improved to 81.5% when the pupils took the achievement Test in 2021.

She said the pupils improved by 2.4% points across the country.

“We have pupils attaining Minimum Competency in the Achievement Tests mathematics sin Baringo County improved from 67.9% at baseline in to 91.5% at Endline 202,” Buruet said, adding that over 90% of pupils in Baringo County attained the benchmark of 50per cent.

“We have pupils attaining Minimum Competency in the Achievement Tests mathematics in Baringo County improved from 67.9% at Baseline in to 91.5% at Endline 202,” Buruet said, adding that over 90% of pupils in Baringo County attained the benchmark of 50per cent.

The government implemented the project, worth USD 88.4million, from 2015 and targeted over 6million learners in 23,000 public primary schools. The implementation was done under the supervision of the World Bank.

Buruet said the government trained teachers in new teaching methods, and distributed over 10.5million CBC text books and Teachers’ guides for Early Years, to schools.

She said they included books adapted for learners with special needs and disabilities.

World Bank Education specialist MS Annet Kiura, said the project had provided the foundations for further improvement of the teaching and learning of mathematics as the learners’ transit to higher grades of education.

The Headteacher of Kiboino Primary, Mr. Kenneth Tererer said his learners can tackle basic mathematics tasks like addition, subtraction, division, multiplications and number patterns with ease.

He attributed the understanding to the different teaching methods teachers had adopted following the training they were exposed to during the project implementation period.

The Baringo County Director for Education, Mr. Mwasaru mwashegwa thanked the government for the various interventions it had made under the project, saying they had greatly improved the capabilities of teachers to impart numeracy skills in the learners.

The Chairman of Board of Management of the Kiboino Primary, Mr. Gabriel Kiptenger applauded the project, saying it had improved the learning environment of children through improvement in infrastructure at the school.