Programmes being extended to guarantee functional literacy
-- Education Minister
Guyana Chronicle
March 28, 2007
EDUCATION Minister Shaik Baksh has announcd that programmes to guarantee functional literacy for children, by the time they leave the system, will be extended in schools countrywide.
He said they are already ongoing in Regions Three (West Demerara/Essequibo Islands) and Four (Demerara/Mahaica) where hundreds of children are deriving benefit.
The Government Information Agency (GINA) said Mr. Baksh made the announcement while addressing administrators and students recently, at Agricola Primary School, East Bank Demerara,where a literacy programme is being executed by a non-governmental organisation NGO named ‘Every Child Guyana’.
“There must be a rapid expansion of these programmes across the country, because among the top priorities of the government is to ensure that every child is provided with a sound education and, as such, we all need to get involved,” the minister asserted.
He said the BEAMS (Basic Education Access Management Support) project in Georgetown and Region Two (Pomeroon/Supenaam) will be expanded throughout the country by September.
Baksh complimented ‘Every Child Guyana’ for its work and assured the government’s support for other NGOs interested in uplifting the standard of education.
In order to cater for the expansion of programmes, the ministry will have to make sure that necessary measures are in place, he said.
“We will be expanding the distribution of resource materials because it is important that we have the requisite amount to support the learning process”. Apart from Agricola Primary, three more schools have adopted the literacy programme - St Ann’s, Eccles and La Penitence primary schools, GINA reported.