According to her, “Failing to address the situation would only result in wasted potential among the youth and negatively impact a country’s future workforce and economic competitiveness.”
World Bank Acting Country Manager, Dr Beatrix Allah-Mensah has revealed that 87% of children in Sub-Saharan Africa cannot read and understand a simple story at the age of 10.
Dr Beatrix Allah-Mensah said this at the International Day for Education of Poverty-End Poverty Day (EPD) event held at the World Bank office in Accra on Saturday, October 19, 2019.
She noted that the bank is, therefore, seeking to reduce at least half the share of children who cannot read and understand a simple story at age 10 by 2030.
“The Bank intends to set a new learning target to sharpen support for quality primary education,” she added
The new learning target recommends all countries including Ghana to adopt a literacy policy package created by the World Bank which consists of interventions focused specifically on promoting the acquisition of reading proficiency in primary schools.
The World Bank is also supporting countries with a refreshed education approach to strengthening entire education systems so that literary improvements can be sustained and scaled up.