$205 Million for Reading Project in Primary Schools

Action to improve the reading skills of primary school students has been further bolstered with an allotment of $205 million in the 2014/15 Estimates of Expenditure, now before the House of Representatives.

The funds have been provided under a joint project between the Ministry of Education and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), aimed at increasing grades One to Three reading fluency skills in 450 targeted primary schools (Literacy 1-2-3).

For this fiscal year, it is anticipated that under the project, the training of 90 reading coaches working with the 450 project schools will continue. In addition, teachers are to be assisted in the Literacy 1-2-3 curriculum in: lesson planning, model lessons, and identifying students for remedial assistance.

It is also expected that Post Grade One Individual Learning Profile (GOILP) Training for Grade One teachers in the Quality Education Circles (QECs) will be conducted; the Early Reading Assessment Instrument (ERAI) will be administered to Grade Two students in selected schools; and 30 Parent Places will be established in Regions 2, 3 and 5.

Up to February 2014 under the project, 90 Reading Coaches have been trained to administer the ERAI to Grade Two students in selected project schools islandwide. In addition, the administration of the ERAI to Grade Two students was completed in approximately 150 project schools islandwide.

Other achievements include: scope of work for Gender and Parenting Specialist prepared; sensitization sessions held for project school principals regarding the work of Reading Coaches/project activities; planning training workshop in Lesson Planning commenced; and procurement process for the supply of computers, multimedia projectors and cameras for use by the Reading Coaches in the Regional Offices commenced.

Funded by the Government of Jamaica and USAID, the project is scheduled to run from September, 2013 to August, 2015.