MoE launches literacy, robotics programme in Reg 4

A Literacy and Robotics programme was on Wednesday launched at Enterprise Primary School, East Coast Demerara (ECD) with the aim of improving literacy levels among learners.
The programme is being executed by the National Department of Literacy and the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD).
While this programme is the first of its kind to be launched in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), it is the fifth in the country, with the other programmes already in place at Dem Amstel Primary School, Kawall Primary School, La Retraite Primary School and the Blankenburg Primary School in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara).

This is in keeping with the Ministry’s mandate to ensure that every child is a fluent reader by Grade Four with the use of advanced technology.
Education Minister Priya Manickchand related that the pupils at Enterprise Primary School would commence a strict six-week literacy programme on Monday.
This comes after an assessment which found that a significant number of pupils at the school are not reading at their grade level. “In Grade One, none of the children can read at their grade level, at Grade Two, none of the children can read at their grade level, as we go up a little bit higher, it gets a little better,” Manickchand said.
As such, this programme is expected to assist the pupils in unlocking their reading potential, with its three-tiered approach providing an intensive fast-paced remedial intervention to fast-track the learners’ literacy skills.
“Here, they will exclusively learn reading, phonics, pronunciation and letter sounds, combined with a robotics component,” she explained.
Assistant Chief Education Officer with responsibility for Literacy, Samantha Williams explained that a total of 444 pupils are at the very basic level of reading which is synonymous with nursery level reading, 48 are at Level Two which is an early childhood level, 16 are at Level Three which means they understand most concepts being taught.
Williams added that the programme would begin at the basic level, move onto the intermediate level and culminate at the advanced level. Assessments will also be done to track the students’ progress.
Manickchand urged parents to play their role in providing support to their children, adding that the programme could only work if the parents ensured their children attend school consistently.
“If we change what’s happening in the school and you don’t change what’s happening in your house, the parents who are interested – their children will move up, the parents who are not will see that in the results,” the Minister said.
Similarly, NCERD Head of Curriculum Omawattie Ramdin also encouraged parents to see this programme as an investment in their children’s future.
“It cannot and will not be successful if you leave it up to the school alone,” Ramdin said.