Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, Secretary to the Enugu State Government, claims that 50% of the state’s students cannot read in English or handle simple math problems.
Onyia made the announcement while delivering a keynote presentation titled “Smart Basic Education and the Future of Africa” on Thursday in Enugu at the quadrennial convention of the Old Boys Association of Union Secondary School, Awkunanaw.
He said that the administration identified the flaw in its Baseline Assessment of primary schools in the state, which was done in November 2023.
“Our findings were shocking. After six years of primary school, 50 per cent of our children cannot read a single word in English and those who can read struggle with comprehension.
“50% of our children cannot solve simple subtraction challenges. What we found out in Enugu State is written large across our nation”.
He expressed concern that in Nigeria, three out of four children who completed basic education lack numeracy and literacy proficiency.
“The World Bank, UNICEF, and UNESCO have defined this as ‘the Nigerian Learning Crisis’.
“On top of this, our children suffer a “Skills Gap” because existing modes of teaching do not equip children with scientific, technological, productive, and digital competences,” Onyia added.