In a move to address the growing concerns over low numeracy performance in Kenya’s lower grades, the Centre for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education in Africa (CEMASTEA) and Zizi Afrique Foundation hosted the country’s first-ever numeracy co-creation workshop. The event, which focused on the theme “Foundational Numeracy in Kenya: Status, Challenges, and Opportunities,” took place in Nairobi and attracted a diverse group of education stakeholders, including policymakers, educators, researchers, and civil society organizations.
The workshop's primary goal was to examine the root causes of numeracy challenges in primary education and find collaborative solutions to improve the learning outcomes of Kenyan students. CEMASTEA and Zizi Afrique Foundation highlighted the critical need for diagnostic methods to better understand students' learning gaps and refine teaching strategies.
A key highlight of the event was the presentation of findings from a recent study conducted in five schools in Bungoma County, where 405 learners were assessed in basic addition and subtraction tasks. The results revealed alarming gaps in numeracy skills, with only 3% of the students able to complete all the addition and subtraction tasks correctly. The study also showed a gender disparity, with girls outperforming boys in solving the tasks. However, both genders struggled with conceptual and procedural errors, indicating significant weaknesses in understanding and applying mathematical concepts.
Dr. John Mugo, the Executive Director of Zizi Afrique Foundation, emphasized the importance of strengthening foundational numeracy skills, stating, "By working together with teachers, policymakers, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders, we can identify the most common errors that learners make and develop practical solutions to support them."
The workshop also underscored the importance of professional development for teachers, particularly in the area of error analysis. It was recommended that teachers be retooled to improve their pedagogical skills, focusing on the identification and correction of students' learning errors. By adopting a diagnostic approach, educators can better tailor their teaching strategies to support individual learners, ensuring that no child is left behind.
Since the implementation of error analysis training in Bungoma West Sub-County, 12 teachers, 5 school heads, and 5 curriculum support officers have benefitted from the program, equipping them with the necessary skills to improve numeracy instruction at the lower grade levels. Both CEMASTEA and Zizi Afrique Foundation expressed their commitment to creating more platforms for collaborative dialogue to foster quality education for all children in Kenya.
The event concluded with a call to action for all stakeholders to join forces in supporting the development of foundational numeracy skills. As Dr. Mugo remarked, "Supporting early mathematics education today means empowering future engineers, scientists, and innovators tomorrow."
For more information, please contact:
Raynor Polo
Senior Officer, Communications
Zizi Afrique Foundation
Email: rosare@ziziafrique.org
About Zizi Afrique Foundation (ZAF):
Zizi Afrique Foundation is a non-profit organization focused on improving educational outcomes for children and youth, particularly those furthest behind. Operating at the intersection of evidence, policy, and practice, ZAF leverages research to drive systemic improvements in public education.
About CEMASTEA:
The Centre for Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education in Africa (CEMASTEA) is a semi-autonomous government agency under the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology, dedicated to enhancing the quality of mathematics and science education. Established in 2003, CEMASTEA has become a regional hub for teacher capacity development in Africa, offering specialized training and research to improve STEM education across the continent.
