An Ethnographic Investigation of the Challenges of Literacy Acquisition in Selected Ugandan Rural Primary Schools

Abstract

Between 2017 and 2018, Ugandan political leaders alleged that primary school teachers were the main cause of failure of learners’ literacy  acquisition and poor performance in the Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE), particularly in rural schools. The leaders blamed the teachers for incompetence. To this end, some leaders suggested that teachers must sit for Primary Leaving Examinations, particularly English and Mathematics to determine whether they were fit for the task. Based on an ethnographic study conducted in four rural schools in Uganda, this article shows that there are other factors that affect rural learners’ performance in both national and regular evaluations other than perceived incompetence of the teachers. We also demonstrate the nature of sacrifices teachers and learners make to address the real practical challenges associated with literacy attainment. Analysing data collected through classroom observations and teacher interviews in Kyotera district, we argue in this article that the learners’ poor performance is a result of a myriad of factors and as such cannot be solely blamed.

Keywords: Literacy acquisition levels, teachers’ practices, language policy, rural learners, Uganda