Minister of Education, Shaik Baksh charged a new batch of 40 educators to eschew complacency and commit themselves to ensuring that the literacy skills of every child under their watch are boosted.

According to a press release from the Ministry of Education Baksh made these comments to the educators drawn from various districts throughout the country at the National Centre for Educational Resource Development. The minister encouraged the educators to seek to understand their students’ backgrounds, noting that this knowledge will better equip them to serve their charges.

According to the minister there are about 300 literacy educators in the system who have been working with early school-leavers in several communities. He noted that raising the standard of literacy and numeracy is the ministry’s top priority as a National Grade Four Certificate will be introduced from next year. “This intervention…will put teachers under pressure to perform and [the] ministry intends to publish the names of schools with pass rates of below 50 per cent,” Baksh said.

The minister also said students who fail the Grade Four examination will be given a second opportunity to excel in the first or second term in Grade Five. Candidates who fail the first and second term in Grade Five “will most likely receive placements at the remedial Form One of the newly introduced six year secondary schools programme,” he said.

The six-year programme was established to boost the skills of low-performing students by emphasising literacy and numeracy in the first year.

Baksh also told the group that the ministry has introduced a new literacy methodology with intense focus on remediation.

He noted that the current July/August vacation programme which targets slow learners at the primary and secondary levels is part of a broader initiative to address the problem.

According to the release in 2008 the National Fast Track Literacy Programme started with significant budgetary support, targeting low performers, out-of-school youth and illiterate young adults countrywide. This programme covers all education districts and is managed by a National Literacy Coordina-tor with support from 15 regional literacy coordinators and educators. To date 345 persons have successfully completed training in the Literacy Educator Basic Course and currently about 300 are employed at the 219 centres countrywide. In 2009, the National Literacy Unit was established to replace the Basic Education Access Manage-ment Support Pro-gramme, and is structured to address the problem of illiteracy.

The ministry said 16 NGOs are also actively involved in the training, provision of materials and hosting of programmes for literacy educators.

The National Coordinator for the School System Literacy Programme and regional literacy coordinators also work with classroom teachers to deliver the programme. The ministry has also held numerous national and regional workshops to train literacy educators to advance the programme. Baksh also encouraged primary teachers at every level to provide one extra hour each week to work with children who have not met the literacy standards.

Further, the ministry said all Technical and Vocational Education and Training institutions are required to offer a literacy programme for their students.

The Prison Service has been working with the Literacy Unit to boost literacy among inmates and the Corporate Private Sector to provide literacy training for workers.

Minister of Education, Shaik Baksh charged a new batch of 40 educators to eschew complacency and commit themselves to ensuring that the literacy skills of every child under their watch are boosted.

According to a press release from the Ministry of Education Baksh made these comments to the educators drawn from various districts throughout the country at the National Centre for Educational Resource Development. The minister encouraged the educators to seek to understand their students’ backgrounds, noting that this knowledge will better equip them to serve their charges.

According to the minister there are about 300 literacy educators in the system who have been working with early school-leavers in several communities. He noted that raising the standard of literacy and numeracy is the ministry’s top priority as a National Grade Four Certificate will be introduced from next year. “This intervention…will put teachers under pressure to perform and [the] ministry intends to publish the names of schools with pass rates of below 50 per cent,” Baksh said.

The minister also said students who fail the Grade Four examination will be given a second opportunity to excel in the first or second term in Grade Five. Candidates who fail the first and second term in Grade Five “will most likely receive placements at the remedial Form One of the newly introduced six year secondary schools programme,” he said.

The six-year programme was established to boost the skills of low-performing students by emphasising literacy and numeracy in the first year.

Baksh also told the group that the ministry has introduced a new literacy methodology with intense focus on remediation.

He noted that the current July/August vacation programme which targets slow learners at the primary and secondary levels is part of a broader initiative to address the problem.

According to the release in 2008 the National Fast Track Literacy Programme started with significant budgetary support, targeting low performers, out-of-school youth and illiterate young adults countrywide. This programme covers all education districts and is managed by a National Literacy Coordina-tor with support from 15 regional literacy coordinators and educators. To date 345 persons have successfully completed training in the Literacy Educator Basic Course and currently about 300 are employed at the 219 centres countrywide. In 2009, the National Literacy Unit was established to replace the Basic Education Access Manage-ment Support Pro-gramme, and is structured to address the problem of illiteracy.

The ministry said 16 NGOs are also actively involved in the training, provision of materials and hosting of programmes for literacy educators.

The National Coordinator for the School System Literacy Programme and regional literacy coordinators also work with classroom teachers to deliver the programme. The ministry has also held numerous national and regional workshops to train literacy educators to advance the programme. Baksh also encouraged primary teachers at every level to provide one extra hour each week to work with children who have not met the literacy standards.

Further, the ministry said all Technical and Vocational Education and Training institutions are required to offer a literacy programme for their students.

The Prison Service has been working with the Literacy Unit to boost literacy among inmates and the Corporate Private Sector to provide literacy training for workers.

Minister of Education, Shaik Baksh charged a new batch of 40 educators to eschew complacency and commit themselves to ensuring that the literacy skills of every child under their watch are boosted.

According to a press release from the Ministry of Education Baksh made these comments to the educators drawn from various districts throughout the country at the National Centre for Educational Resource Development. The minister encouraged the educators to seek to understand their students’ backgrounds, noting that this knowledge will better equip them to serve their charges.

According to the minister there are about 300 literacy educators in the system who have been working with early school-leavers in several communities. He noted that raising the standard of literacy and numeracy is the ministry’s top priority as a National Grade Four Certificate will be introduced from next year. “This intervention…will put teachers under pressure to perform and [the] ministry intends to publish the names of schools with pass rates of below 50 per cent,” Baksh said.

The minister also said students who fail the Grade Four examination will be given a second opportunity to excel in the first or second term in Grade Five. Candidates who fail the first and second term in Grade Five “will most likely receive placements at the remedial Form One of the newly introduced six year secondary schools programme,” he said.

The six-year programme was established to boost the skills of low-performing students by emphasising literacy and numeracy in the first year.

Baksh also told the group that the ministry has introduced a new literacy methodology with intense focus on remediation.

He noted that the current July/August vacation programme which targets slow learners at the primary and secondary levels is part of a broader initiative to address the problem.

According to the release in 2008 the National Fast Track Literacy Programme started with significant budgetary support, targeting low performers, out-of-school youth and illiterate young adults countrywide. This programme covers all education districts and is managed by a National Literacy Coordina-tor with support from 15 regional literacy coordinators and educators. To date 345 persons have successfully completed training in the Literacy Educator Basic Course and currently about 300 are employed at the 219 centres countrywide. In 2009, the National Literacy Unit was established to replace the Basic Education Access Manage-ment Support Pro-gramme, and is structured to address the problem of illiteracy.

The ministry said 16 NGOs are also actively involved in the training, provision of materials and hosting of programmes for literacy educators.

The National Coordinator for the School System Literacy Programme and regional literacy coordinators also work with classroom teachers to deliver the programme. The ministry has also held numerous national and regional workshops to train literacy educators to advance the programme. Baksh also encouraged primary teachers at every level to provide one extra hour each week to work with children who have not met the literacy standards.

Further, the ministry said all Technical and Vocational Education and Training institutions are required to offer a literacy programme for their students.

The Prison Service has been working with the Literacy Unit to boost literacy among inmates and the Corporate Private Sector to provide literacy training for workers.