Chief Education Officer (CEO) Olato Sam has urged that Guyana should develop a “culture of literacy” since a more literate citizenry will lead to a more progressive society.
Sam was at the time addressing a gathering at the launch of the Ministry of Education’s reading fair on Main Street. The fair is held annually on September 8 to commemorate International Literacy Day. This year’s theme was Literacy and Sustainable Societies.
Sam’s call echoed the message of Director-General of UNESCO Irina Bokova on the occasion of International Literacy Day. Bokova noted that with the imminent adoption by states of a new agenda for education and development to guide the next 15 years, promoting literacy must stand at the heart of this new agenda.
She noted that “by empowering individual women and men, literacy helps to advance sustainable development across the board from better healthcare and food security to eradicating poverty and promoting decent work.”
This new developmental agenda, the Sustainable Developmental Goals (SDG) was also referenced by Minister of Education Dr Rupert Roopnaraine in his message.
Roopnaraine said that SDGs now emphasise the quality of education to be received, on the assumption that the Millennium Developmental Goal (MDG) of universal access to primary education has been attained.
He explained that while Guyana has indeed declared the achievement of universal access to primary education, the success rate at the grade 6 examinations still indicates that literacy is a daunting challenge.
He called for more research into the cause of Guyana’s literacy rate both within the school population and among those who have left school. Roopnaraine called on “the entire nation and its constituent parts to take stock and to take ownership of what must be a national endeavour if Guyana is to achieve the SDGs, but more importantly sustainable development.” Paraphrasing national poet Martin Carter, he added, “All are involved, lest we all be consumed.”
Also speaking at the launch of the reading fair was Vincent Alexander, Technical Advisor to the Minister, who said it was an apt way to celebrate literacy day. “Reading is an essential component of literacy and literacy is the bedrock of education. They are like building blocks in that order. One has to know to read to be considered to be literate and one has to be literate to pursue a meaningful education. Without reading there can be no education,” Bishop said.
