THE Ministry of Education (MoE) recently launched the final publication of the Atlantic Reader series, which will be used as a primary textbook at the elementary level of schooling. This is indeed a significant development for which the PPP/C administration must be highly commended.

The initiative was lauded by Dr Laurette Bristol, Programme Manager for Human Resource Development, who said that the intentions and aspirations for the Atlantic Reader series ‘meet the needs of literacy at the local level and extend the integration agenda of the Caribbean, which is to foster the ideal Caribbean person through education.’

She further stated that the CARICOM Secretariat as a regional partner ‘is excited to continue to be part of this journey with the Ministry of Education to realise the aims and goals of the Human Resources Development Strategy 2030. It is an exciting moment, not just for Guyana, but for the entire Caribbean.’

What is particularly noteworthy is the fact that the Atlantic Reader series was conceptualised and written entirely by Guyanese educators. The books form part of a series spanning levels One to Six, which are locally produced textbooks designed to accelerate learners’ literacy acquisition at the primary level. The books are expected to be in the classroom shortly, which is seen by the Education Ministry as a ‘critical part of its arsenal to combat challenges that have historically affected the ability to excel in literacy.’ The Atlantic Reader Series is a reader/workbook combination which is intended to contribute to the overarching goal of enhancing literacy skills of children from Grades One to Four.

The first three series were completed and launched in February 2015 under the PPP/C administration, but following a change of government, production of the final book in the series was halted. Attempts by the PPP shadow minister to get an explanation as to the reason for the discontinuation of work on the final book in the series went unanswered. It was not until the return of the PPP/C administration on August 2020 that work re-commenced on completion of the Reader series. As to why the previous APNU+AFC put a halt on the project is at best puzzling, given the importance of learning materials in terms of student-attainment levels.

Produced in full colour, the books were created to assist in the development of reading skills and were written by Guyanese with Guyanese culture in mind. The emphasis is on aligning the reading skills with Guyanese cultural characteristics as reflected in the characters, pictorial representations and scenarios, with focus on a balanced approach to reading at the various grade levels.

One immediate benefit of the locally produced books, apart from their pedagogic and cultural value, is the fact that it would free up valuable foreign exchange for use in other pressing education needs, which otherwise would   have to be spent on the importation of reading materials.  But at an even more fundamental level, it is indicative of the fact that the country has now reached a stage where it has developed local capacity not only to compile the reading books, but to also develop the accompanying workbooks. The National Centre for Education Resource and Development (NCERD) must be commended for the progress made not only in terms of the development of learning and teaching materials, but also in development of the requisite measurement and evaluation tools to ensure effective learning outcomes.

We have come a long way since the days when our education system was patterned after the metropolitan colonial powers, in our case, Great Britain. Those who grew up in the pre-independence and colonial era are all too familiar with nursery rhymes and children’s stories depicting a reality that bore little or no relevance to our indigenous culture.

With renewed emphasis on education and education-attainment levels by the PPP/C administration, the stage is now set to modernise the entire education infrastructure. Education is a top national priority, as can be seen from the huge budgetary allocation to the education sector. This, as Education Minister Priya Manickchand pointed out, will allow for the ministry to do more of the things it wanted to do, including a larger supply of books and other learning materials in the hands of every student in the primary school system.

These massive injections of finances in the education sector is a reflection of President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali’s vision for education in Guyana, which is to provide a world-class education for all Guyanese children, an education designed to raise the level of human capital to advance the transformative agenda of the country.

The $74.4 billion allocated to the education sector in this year’s budget estimates represents an increase of 22.6 per cent from that of 2021 and accounts for 13.5 per cent of the overall $552.9 billion. Some 1.2 billion is allocated for the purchase of textbooks for children in the public school system, which will now be supplemented by the Atlantic Reader series.