Dear Editor,
World Literacy Day was celebrated on September 8. The various media houses offered global statistics: that 4 billion people worldwide are literate, that 774 million adults worldwide do not have minimum literacy skills of whom 64% are women; that 100 million children worldwide, 55% of whom are girls, are illiterate; that more than 72% of the world’s children are out of school and many more attend school irregularly.
However, I wonder if statistics for Guyana can be made known: the total per cent of our population that do not have minimum literacy skills; what per cent of them are 18 to 25 years and older; what per cent are in the 12-18 age group; and what per cent are in the under-12 years age group; how many are girls, how many boys?
I believe that such information would help Guyanese to understand how acute the problem is. A literate critical mass is an absolute imperative for people to grow and develop and make intelligent choices. It is the first step in breaking the vicious cycle of poverty.
We are a small society, under a million persons. Have we set a time-frame for a achieving the status of a literate society?
India with more than 1 billion persons had set themselves a date to eradicate illiteracy even though we are still to read reports of whether the goal has been achieved.
About eight years ago, in 2000, a survey was done among 9, 10 and 11year-olds in some primary schools that suggested that 36% of the students surveyed were unable to recognize two-and three-letter words.
A previous survey (possibly in 1998) among 14 to 25 year-old out-of-school youths (who accounted for 24% of the population), revealed that (an astonishing) 89% of them possessed a literacy level lower than what is required for them to function effectively in the society.
Eight years on, we are anxious to know the current state of literacy among our people. The 9, 10 and 11 year-olds in 2000 are now 17, 18 and 19 year-olds and presumably searching for employment.
Have they acquired minimum literacy skills? What jobs are open to them? Are they literate enough to join the skills training programmes offered?
What is happening to those who were 14 to 25 year-olds in 1998? − how are they faring in the world of work? Have they since acquired the minimum literacy skills necessary for employment, survival and for taking their place in the society?
Is any follow-up being done? Has another survey been planned in the near future? The quality of life depends on it.
Yours faithfully,
Ameena Gafoor
