Govt enlisting experts to bolster literacy level – Manickchand

Education Minister Priya Manickchand said that government will be embarking on a project aimed at improving the level of literacy in Guyana, with the help of local experts. She said, “What we are about to embark on, is pulling together all our local experts in literacy… from political, geographical agenda, all our experts from across the country wherever we have them, pulling them together and sitting down to formulate and brainstorm what would be the best way forward in pushing the literacy agenda; making sure our children can read, making sure they can comprehend what they read, making sure we see better results at the lower level at primary grade,” the minister said.

Manickchand was at the time addressing a gathering at the East La Penitence Primary School on Tuesday where a reading club was launched. The reading club initiative is a collaboration between the Education Ministry and the Rotary Club of Georgetown, which will aid in boosting the literacy level in Guyana.
The education minister called on parents and teachers to encourage children to join the club, so as to develop an interest in reading, thereby leading to a higher level of literacy in the school system.
“We at the Ministry of Education, we at the government, we have a duty to deliver to you goods and services; we have a duty to ensure you can read; we have a duty to ensure that you leave primary school literate and that you are taught when you come to school, and we cannot do that alone, we’ve been saying for years that if we are to help Guyana develop at the pace that Guyana deserves to develop, that we have to have everybody to onboard,” the minister said.
Manickchand implored persons to join with the Rotary club of Georgetown and the Education Ministry to make the project a success, because, if it is a success the children of Guyana will be the true beneficiaries.
She called on other organisations to come onboard and provide support to enhance the literacy level in Guyana. Chief Education Officer Olato Sam said literacy has been at the forefront of the ministry’s initiative, since officials recognise the key role it plays in ensuring the ministry’s educational targets are attained.
Significant emphasis has been placed on strengthening educational output at the early childhood level, as a means of ensuring that no child exits the primary cycle without mastering the literacy expectations, the CEO explained.
“In fact, our current mandate is that every child must read by Grade Three; we’ve made significant strides in that regard. I am happy to say that the 2012 Grade Four literacy assessment results are the best results today in the history of the Grade Four assessments,” he said.
He added that one of the critical elements of book clubs is the ability to instill in young people the sheer joy of reading and being exposed to a wide range of themes and concepts. He said teachers play an integral role in ensuring that such an initiative is successful. He stated that everyone has a role to play in attaining the broader objectives of making Guyana a nation where everyone wants to live, and making sure that every child is given an opportunity to be educated.