24 primary schools to receive reading spaces

DPI, Guyana, Monday, December 10, 2018

Numerous primary students in Regions Five and Six will now have a place in their schools to read thanks to a drive held by students of the University of Guyana.

The Division of Education and Humanities in collaboration with the University of Guyana Berbice Campus’ Library and the Department of Education on Saturday held its second Christmas Cheer and Book Drive drawing which will mean 24 classrooms are to be given a complete reading space equipped with fully stocked bookshelves.

The Reading Space that will be given to the 24 Primary Classrooms in Region 5 and 6.

Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic Affairs Professor Michael Scott.

Teachers from Class of EEN 4102 serenades the audience with caroling.

A section of the audience at the Christmas Cheer and Book Drive Drawing held at the University of Guyana Berbice Campus.

The project is aimed at enabling primary schools to promote literacy through reading for pleasure and was undertaken by 36 students from the class “Teaching of Language Arts at the Primary Level”.

Lecturer and Project Coordinator, Pamela Rose, while delivering an overview of the project, explained the course is to help teachers not only to understand the language arts needs of their students but to also design strategies to meet those needs.

“Classroom teaching in this course emphasizes the transformational model of learning and the contextual view of learning where students’ learning is made more meaningful and relevant when linked with real-life activities and real-life needs. This project undertaken by the EEN 4102 class has the potential to support national efforts to improve literacy in primary schools through collaborative partnership activities conducted in four phases.”

Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic Affairs Professor Michael Scott applauded the initiative and noted literacy encompasses much more than reading and writing: it includes the capacity to read, understand and logically appreciate various forms of communication.

Meanwhile, a student of the class, Janelle Felix delivered the report on the project and said it positively helped teachers in addressing reading problems by enhancing the children’s word recognition and vocabulary skills.

The Book Drive initiative started in 2017 and, after recognizing the impact the programme made in 25 schools in Region Six including schools in the riverain areas, such as Orealla and Baracara, the team extended the project to Region Five. The reading spaces will be officially handed over in January 2019.

Story and Images: Nafeeza Sakur.