Irony of Kenya spending billions on school children who cannot read, write or count

Pupils attend a lesson under a tree at Nachurur Primary School in Tiaty Constituency, Baringo County. [File, Standard]

There is urgent need for smarter investment to raise academic minimum proficiency levels. Spending too much money on education has little to do with learning outcomes.

New statistics released last week by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation Institute for Statistics (UIS) reveal that more than 617 million children and adolescents are not achieving minimum proficiency levels in reading and mathematics worldwide, despite being in school for several years.