Talking points:

• I commend the County Government and the parents and students of Ama Primary School for your commitment to improving learning.
• I know that the Tusome model has produced great results already and will do so here in Wajir.  Tusome is an investment in children’s futures.
• Mastering foundational skills in primary school is the greatest predictor of academic success, improving every child’s chance to succeed academically and professionally.
• Under Tusome, the United States, partnering with the United Kingdom, and the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology will work with communities to improve early-grade reading in every public school in Kenya. 
• Tusome is benefiting 215 public schools in Wajir County, with books for all 12,872 Class One students.
• I am delighted to announce that 2.9 million textbooks are en route to Kenya at this time.
  • 1.45 million in Kiswahili and 1.45 million in English for all Class Two students starting in January.
  • More than 30,000 of these are coming to Wajir County.
• 86,700 teacher guidebooks for Class Two teachers are on their way, too.
•  In addition, 1.8 million supplemental reading books for Classes One and Two with stories to excite children’s imaginations are coming, more than 22,000 to Wajir County.
• Teacher training will begin again in January. 

 Background:

“Tusome” is Kiswahili for “let’s read.”  The Tusome Early Grade Literacy activity is a national literacy program to improve literacy instruction and academic outcomes for nearly 5.4 million class One and Two pupils in 22,600 public schools through state-of-the-art learning materials, new methodologies and monitoring systems. The program will also work with 60,000 teachers and use proven, cost-effective teaching methods and learning materials to measurably improve learning outcomes.

 The four-year, $53 million Tusome Early Grade Literacy activity is supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.K. Department for International Development.  Tusome was expanded to every public school in the country after the Primary Math and Reading Initiative (PRIMR) pilot demonstrated consistent and convincing reading gains through a rigorous randomized control trial.

 The Ministry of Education Science & Technology (MoEST), in collaboration with USAID, is implementing the Tusome Early Grade Reading Activity with technical support from RTI International. The Tusome objective is to improve literacy outcomes for Class One and Two. The Tusome program is being implemented in all public primary schools countrywide and 1,000 APBET (Alternative Provision of Basic Education and Training) institutions serving low-income urban settlements in four counties. This program will benefit 5.4 million children in public schools and 120,000 children in APBET institutions, as well as 60,000 teachers in public schools and 2,000 in APBET institutions. In addition, a total of 1,052 TAC (Teacher Advisory Centre) Tutors and 70 Instructional Coaches are participating in the implementation of Tusome. The program also will build the capacity of senior education personnel from MoEST, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), and other education Semi-Autonomous Government Agencies.

 Tusome is benefiting 215 public schools in Wajir County, with some 12, 872 first grade (also called Class One) students.

 The Ama school is in the Joqbaru educational zone of Wajir East Sub-County, Wajir County. It was founded in 1995 as a boy’s primary day school and was converted into a mixed day and boarding school in 2005. The African Muslim Agency and sponsors 130 orphan boys who board at the school.

 The school has a total of 14 teachers, including four employed by the TSC (two males and two females), one of whom is trained in the Tusome methodology.  All the teachers are said to speak English.  Under the sponsorship of the African Muslim Agency, the school’s Board of Management has also employed ten untrained teachers.

 Enrollment

The school enrolls a total of 412 boys, including the 130 orphan boys who board at the school with support from the Supreme Council of Kenyan Muslims (SUPKEM).  Also, 139 girls attend day school, for a total student population of 550 children. Grades one, two, four and five have two classes each, while grades three, six, seven, and eight have one class each. The school has 10 permanent classrooms, six toilets, and one administration block with a semi–permanent kitchen.

 Examination performance

KCPE performance has been improving very quickly, with mean scores of 184.76 in 2012, 210.23 in 2013, and 280.61 in 2014. The mean score across Kenya last year was 250, and this is remarkable improvement over the past three years.

 Site Location

The school is located three kilometers from Wajir town, adjacent to Wajir stadium. It is one kilometer off Garissa Road.