Government Committed to Increasing Literacy Levels

Education Minister, Andrew Holness has re-emphasised that the Government is determined that no child should leave the primary school system illiterate and is continuously putting measures in place to ensure this.
“When we started in the year 1999 to measure literacy at the primary level, using the Grade Four Literacy Test, only 42 per cent of students managed to achieve mastery at the test. At the last administration of the test this year, I am pleased to report that we are now at 71 per cent on the first sitting,” he said at the recent launch of the new school year 2008/2009.
The function was held at the Ocho Rios High School in St. Ann, under the theme, ‘Education: It’s a Partnership’.
“Principals, you are the main agents of policy. You represent the point at which Government policy hits the road and if you don’t implement the policy then the policy won’t be successful,” he said, noting that full literacy was not an illusive or impossible goal.
Pointing to the level of illiteracy in the society, Minister Holness said that national focus and attention need to be given to this issue.
“Somehow, somewhere along the line we have lost that national focus. In many ways it is as if we have accepted illiteracy. We must redouble efforts and recommit ourselves to make sure that every single Jamaican is literate,” he said.
Turning to the Grade Four Literacy Test, he informed that a number of changes would be evident when the test is next administered, as it will be treated similarly to the sitting of the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT).
“It will not be locally invigilated or graded. It will be marked as how we mark GSAT and invigilated as how we invigilate GSAT,” he said, pointing out that such changes would bring more accountability into the system.With education as a partnership, Minister Holness pointed out that parents also have an important role to play, in the process of helping their children to achieve full literacy.
“I take this opportunity to say to parents, that if you have children at grade four, grade three and grade one, make sure that they are able to read and write,” he said, noting that the Ministry was investing heavily in starting the National Parenting Commission, to support the work of the National Parent Teachers’ Association (PTA) and that through such an approach, parents would be educated and provided with the support, to play their part effectively in the partnership plan for education.