Regional and Gender Disparities in the Attainment of Desired English Language Competence Levels

Abstract

English language in Kenya is the medium of instruction from primary class 4 upwards. The assumption here is that by the end of class 3 (three years of elementary education), learners will have attained English language abilities to enable them benefit from instruction in English. At class 4, learners should be able to study and understand other subjects' contents in the curriculum, taught in English. It was important, therefore, to establish whether learners attain the desired skills by the time they shift to learning in English. This paper discusses the findings of a study conducted among a representative national sample of 6,962 class 3 learners from 185 schools. The study established learners' attainment of various reading and writing skills, with special reference to region and gender. The findings indicate there are gender and regional disparities in attainment of the desired language skills. Conclusions and recommendations have been made, from the findings.