Edda Bohn, the Deputy Executive Director of the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture, has revealed that nine out of 10 children are not meeting the minimum literacy requirements by age 10.

 She emphasised that the country is falling behind on foundational learning objectives. 

Most Grade 3 learners struggle to read and comprehend a simple story, indicating a significant level of learning poverty. 

A separate baseline study on foundational literacy and numeracy found that only 32% of learners possess adequate numeracy skills. 

In response, the Ministry is launching a national awareness campaign to address the learning crisis. This strategy will focus on equipping teachers and supporting learners to achieve foundational literacy and numeracy targets by age 10. 

Bohn made these statements at the Government Information Center on Friday.