National Land Agency donates books to clan Carthy

KINGSTON — The National Land Agency (NLA) on June 24 donated 150 books to the Clan Carthy Primary School’s library as part of its drive to improve the literacy skills of the nation’s children.

Public Relations Officer at the NLA, Adrienne Mullings, said the agency amassed more than over 300 books for donation to the Kingston-based institution and the Redwood All-age School in St. Catherine, whose libraries were identified by the Jamaica Library Service (JLS) as in need of books.

Redwood will receive its share of books next week Wednesday (June 29).

“We did a drive among the staff of the NLA and we collected mainly story books, because those were the books primarily needed,” Ms. Mullings told JIS News at the handing over ceremony.

She informed that the library stock at Clan Carthy Primary was depleted over the years, as students borrowed books without returning them. To ensure that this does not recur, the students will only be allowed to read the books in the library.

“We want to make this an ongoing activity for the agency, where we will be donating books to other primary schools,” she stated.

Principal of Clan Carthy, Joyce Palmer, said she was “very grateful” for the donation, as the reading materials will help to improve the students’ literary skills.

This, she stressed, was essential, especially since students must master the Grade Four Literacy and Numeracy Test in order to sit the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT).

“This will help a great deal in having the children reading. Many of our children don’t like to read, and so we are trying to assist them in loving to read,” she said.

By ALECIA SMITH, JIS Reporter