Towards a national conversation on illiteracy

Feb 20, 2011 Letters

---

Dear Editor,
Eric Phillips (SN 04-12-10), argued very passionately for: “…a national conversation on illiteracy”. He supported his argument by citing numerous examples of the mutilation of the English language that occur with alarming frequency almost daily.
Exactly one week later, the Director of the National Centre For Education Resource Development (NCERD, Ministry of Education), Mohandatt Goolsarran, responded: “Eliminating illiteracy, modernizing education and strengthening tolerance” (KN 11-12-10).
In his response, the Director not only cited several projects funded by international donors within the past 20 years, but, also listed 13 separate initiatives that NCERD had launched over the past five or six years, all aimed at the elimination of illiteracy.
The list of initiatives is indeed impressive. The costs involved must have been huge. The big question is: “Was this money well spent?”
As the Director, NCERD has said: “A great deal of effort (and money), has been placed on improving the level of literacy in this country. The challenges have been overwhelming, but there are glimpses of success, which suggest a long and arduous road ahead for those involved in the elimination of literacy in Guyana”.
There is no reason to doubt the Director’s assessment. What really matters is: “Is there any real progress in the elimination of illiteracy?” The indications are that we may be fighting a losing battle. I wish to suggest that the time has long since arrived when we must substitute “working smart”, in the place of “working hard”, if we claim to be “modernizing education”.
Phillips, in his letter, not only points to various kinds of illiteracy, but, also to illiteracy at various levels: “Our solutions themselves highlight our illiteracy”. I do not think Phillips intends to belittle efforts to eliminate illiteracy. But, rather, justifiably questions whether these various initiatives that have been implemented from time to time have been informed by findings from research grounded within Guyanese social and economic realities. Maybe he is aware of the fact that illiteracy is such a complex problem, that it cannot be eliminated by educational initiatives alone.
Research findings on illiteracy suggest that: “Poverty is the underlying cause of illiteracy.    Without any proven will or ability to break the chains of poverty, no government has been able to make significant progress towards universal literacy” (Myths and Realities of Literacy/Illiteracy, Convergence Vol. XX #1, 1987).
Regardless of the ostentation of great wealth in our society, we live in an economy that creates great poverty. And, poverty kills!
A significant portion of our workers, live well below the poverty line. They can be described as the working poor. They are not paid decent wages. In addition they are exposed to double jeopardy, as our “one size fits all” tax policies exacerbate their poverty. Indeed, when some factors that contribute to poverty (low minimum wages, heavy taxation, inadequate land holdings), are examined, it might be fair to say that apart from the effects of an unbalanced population/economy ratio  (population exceeds the carrying capacity of our economy), much of our poverty in Guyana has resulted from existing legislation.
We, therefore, ought to focus on accelerating the development of a truly democratic and prosperous Guyana in which there a greater measure of social justice and poverty is eradicated.
Parents would be able to do so much more for their children, such as purchasing books (suggested by the Hon. Minister of Education, Shaik Baksh, KN 16-02-11), games, and taking them to interesting places (museums, libraries, nature parks, zoos, sugar factories, bottling plants). A greater measure of social justice would be a giant leap forward in the struggle to eliminate illiteracy.
Of even greater importance is the fact that students would then be encouraged to stay in school (or, return to school), if they can see that there is meaningful work at decent wages when they graduate, and that they can participate as equals in the life of their society.
Without going into further detail, it should be evident that the Ministry of Education (MOE) alone, (much less NCERD), cannot be tasked with the elimination of illiteracy.    The entire MOE simply does not have the capacity or the essential resources to undertake such an immense task.
This condition demands a collaborative approach involving several ministries (Education, Finance, Health, Housing, Human Services and Labour, Youth, Sports and Culture), and the Private Sector.
Clarence O.  Perry

---

---