Latest update February 14th, 2025 7:57 AM
Innovative measures needed to improve writing skills
– Asst. Chief Education Officer
Assistant Chief Education Officer, Bibi Alli
The need to implement innovative measures to help students improve their writing skills was highlighted Wednesday by Assistant Chief Education Officer, Ms Bibi Alli.
This move is especially urgent in the face of competing features such as television, computer games, social networks (particularly Facebook) and cell phones, which, according to Alli, are offering stiff competition to the education system.
According to the senior Education official, instead of reading and practising to write, many youths are today seen texting on their phones and engaging in social media activities.
She underscored that “the more we practise to write, the better we would be able to write. The more we read, the better readers we will become,” while alluding to the old adage – practice makes perfect.
Alli was at the time facilitating a discourse at the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD), Kingston, Georgetown, during a Ministry of Education-GUYAID essay competition prize-giving ceremony.
The senior official, who has a keen interest in English Language, has over the years been involved in marking students’ essays. She, however, observed that the quality of writing has been noticeably deteriorating, indicating the need for more to be done to arrest the daunting situation.
Alli made reference to the need for teachers to ensure that essay writing is done as stipulated on the timetable at all levels of the school system.
She also pointed to the importance of teachers marking and correcting students’ writing as well as to encourage them to edit and correct their own work.
“Students should be encouraged to read so that they have information to put in their essays that can model the writing of good writers.
“We must remember that writing is a process, it is not a simple set of steps that teachers can teach and students can memorise. It is important to implement them and practice.”
Alli also spoke of the role of parents, adding that they need to monitor what their children do at home and ensure that they complete their homework and assignments, and read as often as possible.
“I know how difficult this can be today because of the many distractions that are competing for our children’s time…but we have to make the effort.
“We must remember that language skills are crucial factors in ensuring academic success, positive self-esteem, and improved life chances.”
According to Alli, parents with young children must spend time talking to them, reading to them, and creating an environment that would encourage them to both read and write.
She stressed, too, that the importance of writing and language development cannot be over emphasised. “It is for this reason that it is given prominence on the school curriculum, regardless of the grade and the level. It is for this reason that unless students pass English Language at CSEC they cannot matriculate.”
Alli stressed that the benefits of being able to write are tremendous, including to entertain, to foster artistic expression, to explore the functions and values of writing, to stimulate imagination, to clarify thinking, and to search for identity.
“We all know that language is man’s major form of communication. The ability to write our thoughts and feelings in the various formats is a skill we must all develop and maintain for effective communication,” Alli asserted.
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
An Open Letter to the election observer missions
Peeping Tom… Kaieteur News-Later this year, you will arrive in Guyana as protectors of the integrity of our democracy.... more
OAS Secretary General Election and renewed OAS Consensus
Antiguan Barbudan Ambassador to the United States, Sir Ronald Sanders By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News- The upcoming election... more
Weekend Cartoon
