Tuesday, January 12 – Today was a joyous day for the 25 students who participated in the Literacy Intervention Programme as they were rewarded for their noteworthy achievement during a recognition ceremony held this morning at the Public Service Training Centre (Training Division).
The programme was sponsored by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and spearheaded by the BVI National Commission for UNESCO through the Ministry of Education and Culture. Minister for Education and Culture the Honourable Andrew Fahie told the gathering it was a pleasure to be at the ceremony to witness the results of this worthwhile initiative.
He urged the students not to stop and to keep reading. “It is very important that you keep reading. Reading is the key because if you cannot read, you impede your future,” he said.
Minister Fahie told the students that once they can read they will open their “whole lives to success”. He added, “Students continue to strive for the best because your future depends on you”.
Honourable Fahie thanked the principals of the schools where the programme was facilitated and the three facilitators who worked tirelessly with the students and who he called “top veterans” namely Dr. Esmeralda O’Neal, Mrs. Jennie Wheatley and Mrs. Judith Vanterpool.
The Minister also added that this was not the only reading programme that has been implemented at the schools. “We have incorporated some of our retired teachers in some schools to help identify students with reading difficulties and give them the assistance they need, and we are looking at expanding this programme to other schools,” he said.
Acting Secretary General, BVI National Commission for UNESCO Dr. Allison Flax-Archer welcomed everyone and also thanked the many persons who supported the programme. She said that UNESCO plays a major role in the development of literacy throughout the world and that the aim of the Literacy Intervention Programme was to address reading intervention at the primary level which according to the experts is the ideal time to do so.
“The main objective of the intervention programme was to ultimately increase the amount of students who are able to read at the national standard which was done through diagnostic testing prior to the programmes commencement,” Dr. Flax-Archer added.
The testing, which was conducted in 2007, named six students from the following schools Leonora Delville; Enis Adams; Francis Lettsome and the Bregado Flax Educational Centre Primary Schools.
The facilitators taught one hour sessions with the participants bi-weekly. They held regular meetings with the classroom teachers for the purpose of acquainting them with the materials being used during the programme; the method of instruction and feedback on the students’ progress was also given.
At the ceremony the students were awarded participation certificates and books. Acting Permanent Secretary Ms. Carolyn O’Neal chaired the proceedings.
UNESCO’s millennium development goals relating to education specifically makes reference to “improving of the quality of education and ensuring excellence that recognised and measurable learning outcomes are achieved by all, especially in literacy, numeracy and essential life skills.” The mission of the Ministry of Education and Culture is to provide high quality education and rehabilitative services, as well as, to facilitate access to and participation in sports, recreation and culture, in order to enrich the lives of all resident of the Virgin Islands.
British Virgin Islands News