Reading crisis: The continued failure by those in authority

Sep 13, 2014 Features / Columnists, Letters

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DEAR EDITOR,
The recent KN article dated 9/9/2014 and captioned; “Only three out of 10 pupils can read properly – Manickchand” must set off the alarm bells in our heads.
I have written extensively on the apparent lack of focus, direction, relevance and purpose of the policies and programmes of the Ministry of Education. This situation, I believe, is compounded by an equal lack of commitment and effort by the Ministry and the government to do right by our children.
The approach to education is void of the requisite level of sensitivity and respect that should be exhibited toward our children, their teachers and school administrators.
The fact that almost 70% of our students cannot read at grade level, should not be merely highlighted on World’s Literacy Day, but rather it should cause us to urgently engage in a national conversation to address this grave situation. Those responsible for the education of our children must start this process by taking responsibility for failing our children.
For more than two decades the PPP/C government has been responsible for the education of our children and it took them this long to recognize that it is failing our children by foisting an education programme on them that is working against the best interest of these very students.
The lack of real urgency exposes the relevant authorities’ inability to understand the impact and severe long term consequences of the issue in discussion. When sixty-eight percent of children in the primary schools are unable to read at grade level, the entire country should be concerned and alarmed. This reality underscores the fact that there is a severe problem in the entire school system.
It is clear that the Ministry of Education has been exposing the children of this country to an education policy and curriculum that is retarding their academic growth and their total welfare. Research has shown that third grade is regarded as the most critical period in a child’s academic life.
In fact, Donald J. Hernandez, a professor of sociology at the CUNY- Hunter College, refers to the third grade as the “pivot point”. Hernandez found, in a study he conducted, that third-graders who lack proficiency in reading are four times more likely to become high school dropouts.
The Minister of Education ought to be aware of the many research findings out there which emphasize the severe challenges that will have to be overcome by students who are unable to read by the time they would have reached the third grade. Third grade is an important transition point in the life of a student. If by third grade a student is unable to read, the long term consequences are likely to be devastating.  These consequences will not only impact on the child’s overall development but will also affect families and ultimately the entire nation.
Sixty eight percent of non-grade level readers is a crisis. One study finds that when children fail to become proficient readers by the third grade there are a number of crises which arise these include; problem of closing the achievement gap, increase in the high school dropout rates, increase in youth delinquent activities and criminal acts, over-crowding of juvenile detention centres and prison systems and persistent problems which undermine efforts to end inter-generational poverty.
According to the KN report, Minister Manickchand indicates that her ministry will be implementing a five-year plan to ensure that every child is able to read at the fourth grade. Is the Minister serious? Clearly this plan, if implemented is likely to exacerbate the literacy problem further. If the critical grade for students to read at grade level is determined to be the third grade, why move the goalpost?
While there are exploratory studies being done on the impact of not reading by the fourth grade level, there is no definitive research, at this stage, to suggest that the goalpost must be shifted from the third grade to the fourth grade. Why then is the Minister selling Guyanese children short?
Recently, Guyana has been burdened with a new wave of criminals, which comprise vicious groups of teenagers. I wrote many letters on this issue and called on Ms. Manickchand to release the school dropout rate, as clearly these teen criminals are not attending school. To date that report has not been released. How then can we engage in any reasonable conversation to address this problem of literacy at its base?
While it is true that the problem of literacy has spanned many countries, the situation in Guyana is different because, unlike Guyana, in many of those countries the leaders in education address the problem by first accepting responsibility, determine the root causes, and then create specific corrective actions to be taken to meaningfully address the problem.
When a government is serious about engaging the public in a national conversation to deal with a lingering and dangerous issue, such as the one highlighted here, the people are given all the relevant and needed information. This information is important in order to make informed decisions and take appropriate, reasonable and success-oriented actions.
The people must have sufficient information in order to make a complete analysis. So, for the minister to intimate that information can be misused because of, as she said, “we are in the silly season of politics” is selfish, puerile and reflective of a government and minister who fails to understand the importance of the issue or respect for the intelligence of the people.
It was unfortunate Ms. Manickchand did not see it necessary to take the moral high ground on this very important issue, instead she decided to resort to her usual political rant about “politicians and wanna be politicians”, again attempting to relegate our children’s education and future to a political football.
Guyanese children deserve so much better. I am confident that not too far in the distant future they will get a minister and government that truly believe in them and work to ensure that they are given the requisite opportunities to achieve their full potential. I know that our children can and will do better, if only they are supported by a government and education officials who care for them and are interested in their total development. Our children must read at grade level!
I urge all parents, family, relatives, friends, godfathers, godmothers, religious organizations, sports groups, and other support groups to work to help our children learn to read. Their failure is not only our failure, it will also be our greatest nightmare. We have begun to see the spate of teen criminals and the vicious acts they can engage in.
Let us reflect on the 14-year-old shot dead in the home of a residence on the East Coast of Demerara. Did he know to read? Did he attend school? Did the school curriculum respond to his learning need? When did he drop out of school? Let us act now to stem the tide. Let us continue to believe in and pray for our children, in both the public and private schools system. Guyana’s children can rise and will rise to the occasion.
Lurlene Nestor

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