Education Ministry launches five-year literacy strategic plan -as International Literacy day is observed
Written by Gina Webmasters, Published in News, Georgetown, GINA, September 08, 2014, - Source - GINA
Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand speaking at the launch of the Education Ministry’s five-year literacy strategic plan at Main Street , Georgetown.
Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand today officially launched the Education Ministry’s five-year literacy strategic plan, as Guyana joined with the rest of the world in observing International Literacy Day under the theme “The Literacy Revolution has begun.”
This five-year strategic plan aims to ensure that Guyana’s children are literate by Grade Four, through consistent home, school and community involvement.
Among the aspects targeted are: schools will be mandated to ensure that every effort is made to have students reading at Grade 4, reading tents and centres will be established country-wide, and literacy awareness programmes will be promoted via television and radio.
There will also be classes for parents with reading difficulties, and business organisations, clinics and government agencies will be asked to create literacy friendly environments. Resource materials will also be given to parents indicating how they can enhance the ability of their child’s reading.
Those gathered at the launch on Main Street.
Teachers’ capacity to implement an effective literacy programme will be improved, massive training and retraining of teachers and head teachers will be done. Support materials to improve literacy throughout the education sector will also be developed and/or implemented, reading clubs and libraries will be developed in every school while learning packages will be created for absentees. There will also be an improved monitoring and support supervision of teachers, among other targeted areas.
Minister Manickchand speaking at the launch held on the avenue in Main Street, called for a more collaborate effort to ensure that the nation’s children are literate.
“In everything, every position we hold, whether we be a parent, teacher, a student, neighbour, education officer or pastor …you have a role to play in this literacy revolution we are declaring this morning…you have to ask yourself what you want your role to be in this war on literacy,” Minister Manickchand noted.
A child’s ability to read positively creates opportunities for academic and vocational success.
Students performing a calypso at the launch of the Education Ministry’s five-year literacy strategic plan
Minister Manickchand emphasised the importance of each person in playing a role in the drive to eliminate illiteracy among the Guyanese populace. She said that while the Government has been implementing programmes and policies, it is still not satisfied with where the country is in this regard.
“As far as literacy rates go in our country, we are at the best place we have ever been…while we are the best place we have ever been, we are not comfortable and we as a people should not comfortable of where we are as a nation as far as literacy goes,” the Minister stated.
Once the country’s children are literate everyone stands to benefit. Minister Manickchand said that the ministry has spent a significant amount of time planning in this regard, and a lot of changes have to happen, and more monitoring needs to be made.
A test was conducted last year in Grades One to Six based on literacy standards, bench marks and guidelines, and it was observed that 32% of the children were reading grade level and that is way too low, hence the implementation of this plan.
Chief Education Officer, Olato Sam
“That does not mean that the other children could not read, they were perhaps not reading at grade level, it doesn’t mean they were completely illiterate… I am not suggesting that 68 percent of our school population is illiterate,” she explained.
All across the world, Governments and people have realised that literacy is an emerging issue, and the fact that the world is observing this day says that it is a worldwide issue and the Government and people of Guyana are not failing to recognise that it is also prevalent in the country.
Chief Education Officer, Olato Sam highlighted that the more literate the population, the greater the output in all sectors.
Sam called for the establishment of a culture of literacy in the society, while noting that there is a need for a more comprehensive multi-sectoral approach to ensure that the populace is more literate.
He said that the ministry has taken significant steps to ensure greater numbers of students master the literacy expectations, by the completion of the primary cycle, developing materials and establishing literacy blocks in the primary schools.
The National Library exhibiting some of their books
September 8 was proclaimed International Literacy day by UNESCO on November 17, 1965. It aims to highlight the importance of literacy to individuals, communities and societies.
Today’s event also saw the Minister and other education officials, students and religious leaders being the first to participate in the “Drop everything and read” initiative as part of the many activities to commemorate Education Month 2014.
Students also had the opportunity to visit the mini exhibition and read a book.
Source - http://74.220.215.210/~ginagov...racy-day-is-observed
