Disparity in school children's reading skills in 11 African countries

Area of Science:

• Education Policy
• Development Studies
• Child Psychology

Background:

• Limited research exists on children's reading skills and socioeconomic disparities in African contexts.
• The study addresses a critical knowledge gap concerning the

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate children's basic reading skills in 11 low-income and lower-middle-income African countries.
• To provide comparative evidence on reading skills disparities across diverse social backgrounds, including children with disabilities.

Main Methods:

• Utilized standardized reading tests from the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS).
• Analyzed data from 11 African countries, focusing on socioeconomic factors and disability status.

Main Results:

• Alarmingly low levels of basic reading skills were found across the studied African countries, with significant variation.
• Substantial disparities in reading skills exist between children with disabilities or from disadvantaged backgrounds (rural, poor, less educated families) and their peers.
• Disparities are often more pronounced in countries with higher overall reading proficiency, and persistent gaps exist between children with and without disabilities.

Conclusions:

• The findings highlight the