Kenya - 2006 Kenya National Adults Literacy Survey

2013

The Kenya National Adult Literacy Survey was conducted throughout the country between June 8 to August 8, 2006 by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) and the Department of Adult Education (DAE). The purpose was to generate accurate and up-to-data on the status of adult literacy with a view of using that information to expand and strengthen literacy programmes, and also plan for general national development. Underlying this is the fact literacy is fundamental to socio-economic development and poverty alleviation. The specific objectives were:

Determine the magnitude, levels and distribution of adult literacy for persons aged 15 and above.

Obtain comprehensive data and information on adult literacy from literacy providers and stakeholders both in the private and public sectors.

Identify issues of concern, which need to be addressed in the promotion of adult literacy.

About 18,000 households were sampled for the survey and out of that, 15,696 were occupied in 4,782 in urban and 10,914 in rural areas. Out of the occupied households, 15,504 were successfully interviewed, which gave a response rate of 98.8 per cent. In addition, eight adult education centers or classes in each district were sampled and their teachers of managers interviewed to generate information on the perspective of the service providers.

The study used various instruments to collect the data. Four questionnaires were developed for the survey and targeted the following: households, individuals, institutions providing literacy, and literacy (assessment) tests. The survey was conducted in English, Kiswahili and 18 other local languages, which provided the respondents with the opportunity to respond in a language that they were quite comfortable with. Significantly, 70 per cent of the respondents took the literacy assessments tests in either English or Kiswahili. To arrive at the adult literacy levels, two methods were used: self reporting (one's ability to read and write) and actual testing (assessment of literacy skills) of the population.

Unlike previous surveys that relied on self confessions, this time round, tests were administered to examine the respondents' mastery levels in literacy and numeracy.

The competency levels in either literacy or numeracy were graded on a scale of one to five, with those who attained

Levels Four and Five being considered as having the desirable levels of mastery of the skills. Those who attained Levels

Three, Four and Five were considered to have attained the minimum mastery level.

Sample survey data [ssd]

population residing in households across the country