One third of Karatu adults are illiterate

by Simba Nyamaume in Karatu

About one third of the adult population in Karatu district in Arusha region do not know how to read, write or count as a result of falling standards of adult education.

The district’s Adult Education Coordinator, Mrs Veneranda Bayo has put the adult illiterates number at 15,304 or 24.31 per cent of Karatu’s estimated 63,000 adult population. Some 7,125 of the illiterates or 11.3 per cent are male and 8,178 or 13 per cent are female.

To date some 9,483 adults including 3,040 men (42.7%) and 6,443 females (78.1%) have joined adult education centres and classrooms throughout the district.

Mrs Bayo was speaking at the climax of the adult education week celebrations held at Slahhamo village, Mbulumbulu ward in Karatu district, which were officiated by the Adult Education Officer of the Arusha

Mrs Feliciana Tarimo from the Regional Secretariat who is also the secretariat’s statistics officer was the guest of honour on behalf of the Arusha Regional Commissioner, Mr. Mohamed Babu. The celebrations to mark adult education efforts were held nationwide from 1^st September to 8^th September 2003.

"It is for this reason that the district’s authorities have launched a programme to revive adult education classes as well as special education for children who could not receive education under normal procedures," Mrs Bayo said. Currently, the existing classes have a total of 138 adults.

A recent survey in the district revealed two categories of children that are supposed to join the special education programme known as "Memkwa", the first of which is aged between 11 and 13 years and the second one between 13 and 18 years.

According to the census, 2,111 children of the first category were identified including 1,380 boys and 731 girls as well as 1,517 children of the 14 - 18 age group including 926 boys and 591 girls.

Of those identified in the first category, 1,649 children (equivalent to78.1%) (1,26 boys and 626 girls) have been enrolled in "Memkwa" classes and are being taught by primary school teachers.

Karatu district has also plans to use 140 teachers including 22 who have retired from active service and 118 Form Four leavers to teach pupils under the Memkwa programme.

In her address, the guest of honour, Mrs Tarimo expressed the regional secretariat’s concern at the increasing number of female pupils dropouts from primary schools in the district.

"As a statistician I’m alarmed by the many girls who fail to stay in schools and complete primary education as per government policy ", she said.

Karatu’s District Commissioner, Lieutenant (Rtd) Abdallah Kihato said the district adult education committee members have promised to take appropriate measures to revive the adult education programme in the district as part of a nationwide adult literacy project.

Last modified: September 11, 2003.
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