Guyana commits to improving literacy rate nationwide with launch of “Read Play Love” campaign
Ministry of Education, Guyana, Friday, September 9, 2016
The Ministry of Education celebrates 40 years of Early Childhood Education in Guyana with a high-profile launch of the “Read Play Love” Campaign on September 14.
The Ministry’s “Read Play Love.” campaign garnered the participation and support of First Lady Sandra Granger, Vice President and Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock, member of the opposition and former Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, famed singer/song writer Dave Martin and celebrated cricket star, Travis Dowlin. Each backed the “Read Play Love” message by participating in one of the campaign’s eight videos which speaks of the three pillars of early childhood education: read, play and love.
Ms. Quenita Walrond-Early Childhood Development Specialist and Technical Coordinator of the Guyana Early Childhood Education Programme (GECEP) said, “We were pleased so many of our nation’s leaders and heroes turned out to lend their support to this campaign.”.
The “Read Play Love” campaign targets parents and caregivers of children under 5 primarily in the most remote Administrative Regions of the nation. While a national initiative, particular focus and attention was placed on the Amerindian communities in the Hinterland and Riverine regions.
MOE seeks to raise the literacy rates in the Hinterland and Riverine regions to be in line with the national average of 88%. While Guyana’s literacy rate hovers above the global average of 86% as reported by UNESCO, it is lagging significantly behind its Caribbean neighbors who have achieved close to 99% national literacy.
The GECEP and “Read Play Love” campaign seeks to improve literacy outcomes by encouraging parents and caregivers of children under 5 to start modelling pro-educational behaviours for their children at home. Recent studies from Harvard Educational Review show:
- Children are ready to learn earlier than we thought
- Children learn best through play
- A loving parent/caregiver is child’s first and best teacher
The Ministry of Education’s “Read Play Love” campaign was made possible through funding from the Global Partnership for Education, with oversight from the World Bank. SCG Creative was the winning agency responsible for producing the mass media campaign.
The launch of the “Read Play Love” campaign has been set for Wednesday, September 14, 2016. The Ministry believes that the national audience should share in, and benefit from this valuable campaign message. More information on the campaign is available at: readplaylove.gy