National Literacy Programmes launched in push to bridge education gaps across Guyana

National Literacy Programmes were officially launched by the Ministry of Education on Thursday, as the Government continues work towards attaining universal education. This initiative aims to strengthen reading and writing skills among young learners and ensure every child in Guyana can read by Grade Four.

Teachers and literary officers have already been trained in most regions and the programme will commence at the start of the new school term on September 8.

The launch was attended by educators, school administrators, education officers, students, and other representatives.

Assistant Chief Education Officer, Stembiso Grant, called the initiative a “comprehensive research-driven and culturally rounded set of initiatives that will transform literacy teaching and learning from nursery to secondary and beyond.”

Grant explained that this renewed literacy initiative began in 2023 following a meeting with Minister of Education Priya Manickchand. This discussion sparked a series of meetings with various stakeholders to identify challenges, explore potential solutions, and design a literacy framework that would address the needs of all learners, from nursery to secondary school.

“This initiative is a national movement. From establishing and revitalising school libraries, establishing reading clubs, strengthening community libraries, and collaborating with our partners, this initiative is grounded in the science of reading supported by culturally relevant resources and delivered with the belief that literacy is the right of every citizen,” explained Grant.

The team working on this initiative has also developed a website with a blog for improved access to resources.

In her remarks, Grant said the initiative is “not merely an education programme, it is a national promise. Literacy is the foundation for learning, citizenship, and opportunities.”

Additionally, Grant and Minister Manickchand spoke extensively on the work of the Government through the Ministry to improve the country’s education sector.

Reflecting on the shortcomings of the previous A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administrations, the Minister stated that these issues needed to be addressed and rectified.

She described the initiative as “an intervention” for children already in school at various levels and a “beginner programme” for those just starting their educational journey. The Minister also said that for parents with nursery-aged children entering school, this is the best opportunity post-independence Guyana has ever seen in terms of literacy programs and interventions.

She also emphasised the critical importance of accountability, stating, “We have to love our children in a way that demands accountability from the people who are paid to teach them. And, that accountability will include us holding the hands of teachers and training and retraining where necessary because these are specialties.”

The Minister further highlighted the need for improvements in classroom management, saying that there should be more than one teacher in problematic classrooms, and the number of children in the classroom must be brought down to significantly improve the teacher-child ratio.

“We have to move to a place, in my view, where there is no top school and bottom school. All schools will provide the kind and quality of education that each child deserves.”

Tying this to the literacy programmes, she said “but we can only move to that place when we produce a reading child, when we demand accountability from the people who are placed to give us the reading child, and when we make sure resources are equally and equitably distributed.”

Minister Manickchand added, “This is the most comprehensive package we have ever done as a ministry, as a country, for every level of children all across Guyana and I suspect strongly that this is going to be a programme that our  Caribbean brothers and sisters utilise also.”

In her closing remarks, the Minister also highlighted another Ministry initiative, noting that a primary school library is being added to every primary school in Guyana, with secondary schools to follow. This effort is part of a broader goal to ensure that every school across the country has access to a reading library.