Assessment of Reading Comprehension Skills of Primary Learners in Private and Public Schools: A Comparative Study

The study aimed to investigate the reading comprehension skills of Grade 3 primary learners in both private and public schools, focusing on their literal and inferential comprehension abilities. Employing a quantitative-comparative research design, the study evaluated and compared the performance of 62 pupils, 29 from a private school and 33 from a public school, selected through purposive sampling to ensure relevant and useful data. Research instruments included short stories, questionnaires, and rubrics, with the comprehension measures developed using Barrett’s taxonomy and written at a level appropriate for Grade 3 learners. Data collection involved formal requests to school principals and the use of short stories aligned with the existing curriculum, reviewed and approved by teachers. The gathered data were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency count, percentage, mean, and standard deviation, while inferential statistics were conducted using the Mann-Whitney U test at a .05 level of significance. Findings revealed that private school learners demonstrated higher comprehension skills in both literal and inferential categories compared to public school learners, although both groups remained at an average level overall. This suggests that while both sets of learners possess basic literal comprehension skills, disparities exist in inferential comprehension, with private school learners benefitting from advanced teaching methods and richer learning resources. The results highlight the need for a review of instructional strategies and resource allocation in public schools to enhance reading comprehension outcomes and bridge the gap between private and public school learners.