25/05/2026
Over the past few days, we asked a very emotional question:
“Who should be blamed when a child cannot read by Primary 4?”
The responses were deep, honest, and sometimes painful.
Some blamed the government.
Some blamed teachers.
Some blamed parents.
A few blamed the children themselves.
Some even blamed the society and the environment the child grows up in, the kind of community, exposure, distractions, and social realities surrounding that child daily.
And honestly, everybody spoke from a place of frustration, concern, and personal experience.
After reading through different opinions, arguments, experiences, and observations, one thing became very clear:
When a child cannot read by Primary 4, the child is usually the least person to blame.
That child is often carrying the weight of failures created by adults and systems around them.
Let’s start from the top.
The government carries a huge part of this problem.
How do you expect quality learning when one teacher is handling over 50 pupils in one classroom? Before the teacher settles the noise, quarrels, and says “keep quiet!” ten times, half of the lesson period is already gone.
Many teachers were never properly trained in modern reading methods like phonics. Some are still using the same “cram and pour” method they experienced years ago.
Teacher salaries are delayed for months, yet we expect motivation, patience, and excellence every day. Truth is, a frustrated teacher will struggle to produce confident learners.
The government also failed in supervision and accountability.
Some schools are barely monitored. Children move from class to class without anybody sincerely checking whether they can actually read and understand simple sentences.
Then we come to the schools themselves.
Some schools focus more on appearance than learning outcomes.
Fine uniforms. Beautiful graduation ceremonies. Class decorations. Social media pictures.
But deep down, some pupils still cannot confidently read a simple passage independently.
And somehow, everybody keeps promoting them.
Parents too cannot be completely removed from the conversation.
Yes, life is hard. Many parents are trying their best to survive.
But some children have never sat with an adult for even 10 minutes to read.
Some parents only check school matters when it is time to pay fees or buy textbooks.
Even if a parent is not educated, showing interest still matters:
“Bring your book.”
“Read this for me.”
“What did you learn today?”
Those little moments matter more than people realize.
Then there is the society itself.
A child raised in an environment where nobody reads, where education is constantly discouraged, where survival is the only daily focus, will already be fighting an uphill battle.
Some children return from school only to start hawking, doing heavy chores, or staying in environments with no learning support at all.
Some communities normalize poor education so much that struggling academically no longer shocks anybody.
And sadly, children are products of what surrounds them.
➡️ But beyond blame, the bigger question now is:
➡️ What do we do differently?
The government must invest more seriously in education.
Train teachers properly.
Employ more hands.
Reduce overcrowded classrooms.
Pay teachers well and on time and stop treating education like a side project.
Schools need to stop promoting children automatically without checking actual learning progress.
Reading assessments should become normal, not optional.
Teachers too must move beyond “copy note and memorize.
”Children learn better when teaching is practical, patient, engaging, and phonics-based.
Parents do not need to be perfect or highly educated.
Even 10–15 minutes daily with a child can make a difference.
Ask questions.
Listen to them read.
Encourage them instead of comparing or insulting them.
Communities, churches, neighbors, and youth groups can also help.
Sometimes one caring adult can completely change a child’s academic confidence.
And please, let us stop insulting or shaming children who struggle academically.
A child who cannot read by Primary 4 is not necessarily lazy or dull.
Sometimes that child has simply been pushed through a weak system year after year unnoticed.
Sometimes nobody slowed down enough to teach the child properly.
Sometimes fear, embarrassment, or constant mockery has already damaged the child’s confidence.
The painful truth is this:
When a child cannot read by Primary 4, it is not just a child problem.
It is a reflection of the home, the school, the education system, and the society around that child.
The child is carrying a failure adults created.
And until we stop pushing blame and start fixing foundations, the cycle will continue.
