Literacy and Robotics Programme bearing fruit

The Honourable Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand on Friday afternoon met with parents whose children attended the Den Amstel Primary School to discuss the progress made following the implementation of the Literacy and Robotics Programme.

During the meeting, Assistant Chief Education Officer with responsibility for Literacy, Ms Samantha Williams stated that the pupils’ literacy skills have seen significant improvements.

Before the programme was rolled out, a literacy diagnostic assessment was conducted at the school which revealed that 45 out of the 67 learners enrolled at the school are reading below their age and grade level which represents 70 per cent of the school’s population.

Minister Manickchand stated that the Ministry of Education is committed to ensuring that each child is literate. She reiterated that while support will be provided to build on the pupils’ progress, parents must be actively involved in their children’s academic development.

She further stated that each child must be encouraged and supported to make full use of the opportunities available in Guyana’s transforming economy.

Parents present during the meeting expressed their satisfaction with the programme noting that they have witnessed improvements in their children’s reading and comprehension skills.

It was announced that during the August vacation, a Literacy Camp will be hosted at the Den Amstel Primary School for learners. In addition to building literacy skills, the pupils will be engaged in other activities such as arts and crafts, storytelling, puppeteering, drama and poetry.

 The Literacy and Robotics programme is being facilitated through the National Literacy Department and the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD). It is in keeping with the Ministry of Education’s mandate to ensure that every child is a fluent reader by Grade Four while advancing the use of technology. The programme has a three-tiered approach and provides an intensive fast-paced remedial intervention to fast-track learners’ literacy skills.

It begins at the basic level, then moves on to the intermediate level and culminates at the advanced level.  Assessments are done to track the pupils’ progress. To date, the programme has been implemented in the Dem Amstel Primary School, Kawall Primary School, La Retraite Primary School and the Blankenburg Primary School in Region Three, and the Enterprise Primary School in Region Four.