Baksh outlines steps being taken to improve literacy
EDUCATION Minister Shaik Baksh has refuted claims, in some sections of the media, which suggested that little is being done to address the state of illiteracy in this country.

Speaking at the opening of a four-day capacity building workshop, at Regency Suites Hotel, Hadfield Street, Georgetown, Baksh  pointed out that his ministry is very much concerned about the problem and has established a Literacy Unit to address related issues.

According to a press release, Mr. Baksh said his ministry’s competency based approach to education is supported by critical assessments at grades two and four of the primary level and disclosed that a literacy certification component has been added to the National Grade Four Assessment.

He emphasised that, within the school system, thousands of teachers have been and continue to be trained to effectively deliver the literacy instructional programme.

Baksh said the National Literacy Unit has been maintaining constant, focused programmes, to raise literacy standards at all levels of the education system and the work force.

He said, only a few months ago, an additional 40 literacy educators completed training and have joined an existing pool of 300, working both with in-school learners and out-of-school youths in all the education districts throughout the country to eliminate this problem from society.

Baksh added that strong emphasis is being placed on literacy and numeracy at all Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions and, to date, these programmes have recorded encouraging results.

He said, notably, the Guyana Prison Service GPS) has been working with the Literacy Unit to achieve improvement among inmates and, too, a number of the corporate private sector agencies to provide training for their workers.

WEAKNESSES

Baksh said, more recently, during the July/August vacation, 13,500 children, at both the primary and secondary levels, benefitted from a remediation programme designed to correct their weaknesses in the areas of literacy and numeracy.

These interventions, he maintained, will put teachers under more pressure to perform and he renewed his call to teachers at every grade at the primary level to dedicate at least one extra hour daily after school to work with slower learners on improving their educational outcomes.

Baksh said many have responded to the call but all have to come on board to address the weaknesses of pupils at the primary level to avoid a spill-over to secondary schools.

These measures will not yield the desired results overnight but overtime and his ministry has been, aggressively, pushing for this to be achieved at a quicker pace, he stated.

Baksh also said parents have a key role to play in this process and suggested that they present their children with books as gifts, read to and teach them to read.

“These simple measures will make a significant difference in not only building their vocabulary but also strengthening the emotional bond they share as a family,” the release quoted him as saying.