Only three out of 10 pupils can read properly – Manickchand
- but strategic measures apace to address literacy shortcomings
Pupils taking time out to read yesterday at the Launch of the Ministry of Education’s Literacy programme yesterday.
Thirty-two per cent of children within primary schools are able to read at their respective Grade level, a state of affairs that was amplified yesterday by Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand.
The findings, the Minister said, was based on a ‘Grade appropriate’ literary test recently conducted among pupils of Grades One through Six who embraced the Ministry’s literacy standards, benchmarks and guidelines.
Minister Manickchand has however, cautioned that the outcome of the tests does not necessarily suggest that the remaining 68 per cent of pupils cannot read. Rather they are perhaps unable to read at their Grade Level.
“It doesn’t mean that they are completely illiterate,” said the Minister as she urged that care be taken when disseminating the literacy situation.
The Minister’s remarks came when she addressed a forum at Main Street Avenue, Georgetown, to launch a strategic literacy programme that is geared to improve the level of literacy.
In fact the launch, which saw the attendance of a wide cross section of education stakeholders, embraced the theme ‘the Literacy Revolution has begun’, was one intended to coincide with the observance of International Literacy Day which was celebrated by 195 countries around the world, yesterday.
Even as she described the recent literacy findings as “way too low for us” the Minister declared yesterday that “we are going to change this as a nation…We are hoping to get the cooperation of everyone; anything less will be us as a nation failing our children; this is not an option.”
The Minister added that Guyana does not face the illiteracy dilemma alone.
In fact, she highlighted that the world has long recognised that “we are not where we want to be as far as making our people literate.”
She said that globally people have not advanced to a place, as far as literacy is concerned. That could “make us all sit back and forget that we need to highlight this as an issue at least one day for the entire world.”
The Minister noted that the global celebration of International Literacy Day and the fact that Guyana is commemorating it too, emphasises that not only is illiteracy a worldwide problem, but that the Government and people of Guyana are not failing to acknowledge that it is a problem that needs to be addressed.
“We know that while results are not the only indicator of whether a population is literate or not, it is certainly an important indicator; an important way to judge where we are…” said the Minister.
She said that the Education Sector is aware of its state of literacy because it is something that is constantly discussed within the Ministry.
“We are far from a place where any one of us could sit back and happily say we are comfortable…”said Manickchand. She felt that public discussions relating to shortcomings in the sector could be treated in a manner that could be harmful to the country.
“It could be a little uncomfortable for some of us to talk about these issues, especially now when we are probably entering into a bit of silly season where every politician and every ‘wanna-be’ politician, every president and ‘wanna-be’ president will jump up and take one line of what we say and make it into an issue that can destroy all of Guyana.”
She said that the Ministry is not merely on a mission to highlight its shortcomings but has in place strategic measures to counter these.
Among the tactical measures is a five-year Strategic Plan which has included in its targets “every child being a reader by Grade Four.” And the notion of every child being a reader by Grade Four is one that the Ministry is currently embracing to celebrate Education Month under the theme “Literate by Grade Four through Consistent Home, School and Community Involvement.”
The Strategy is also expected to cater to the realisation of a 60 per cent pass rate at the National Grade Six Assessment; 65 per cent pass rate at the National Grades Two and Four Assessments and 50 per cent passes with Grades One – Three at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate English Examinations.
But while the education sector has its defined role to play in achieving these goals, Minister Manickchand yesterday insisted that all stakeholders must give support as well. “No one person will be able to get this right.”
