How a Mother’s Education Level Shapes Her Child’s Success in Junior School

The Usawa Agenda 2026 Junior School Education Report identifies mothers’ education levels as an important factor linked to children’s learning outcomes in English literacy and numeracy.

From the report, children whose mothers have higher levels of education are more likely to demonstrate competence in the two areas compared with children whose mothers have primary education or less.

“Mother’s education: This is one of the strongest predictors of competence in the study,” Usawa Agenda states.

Usawa On Agenda: Mother’s Education and English Literacy

The report states that a child with a mother who has completed secondary education is 29 percent more likely to be competent in English than a child whose mother has completed only primary education or less.

The link is even stronger for children whose mothers have completed tertiary education.

Children of mothers with at least a primary education are 1.42 times more likely to be competent in English than children whose mothers have only a primary education or less.

“A child whose mother completed secondary education is 29% more likely to be competent in English, while one whose mother completed tertiary education is 1.42 times more likely to be competent than a child whose mother had primary education or less,” the report reads.

Mother’s Education and Numeracy

Usawa Agenda report also links mothers’ education levels to children’s numeracy competence.

A child whose mother completed secondary education is 17 percent more likely to be competent in numeracy than one whose mother has primary education or less.

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For children whose mothers completed tertiary education, the likelihood of numeracy competence is 30 percent higher compared with children whose mothers have primary education or less.

The report identifies mothers’ education, pre-primary enrolment and household wealth among the strongest factors associated with children’s competence in foundational literacy and numeracy.

“A child whose mother completed secondary education is 17% more likely to be competent in numeracy, while one whose mother completed tertiary education is 30% more likely to be competent than a child whose mother has primary education or less,” Usawa Agenda revealed.

Key Findings on Junior School Education

Usawa Agenda has issued its 2026 reports on education at both the junior and senior school levels, pointing out the existing gaps in learning outcomes, infrastructure, staffing, and access to education. The reports were published on August 19, 2026; the junior school education report is the organization’s first of its kind at this level, and the senior school survey is its third edition.

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The report from the Junior School shows that 96 out of every 100 children between the ages of 12 and 17 attend school, which means that there is wide access to Junior School education. The report also noted differences in terms of participation, school readiness, and learning outcomes.

Usawa Agenda findings indicate that only one in every ten junior schools has a functional science laboratory. Furthermore, the report found that three in ten Grade 7 learners could not comprehend an English story appropriate for Grade 3.

One in five of the Grade 9 learners was unable to understand an English story that was appropriate for Grade 3. The report also found that learners in the public junior schools performed worse than those in private schools in both literacy and numeracy throughout the grades.

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