Four Secondary schools get new English literature

Jun 21, 2017 News

Former high school teacher, Charlie Persaud, and other donors, made a generous donation of 120 English textbooks, to four secondary schools on the Essequibo Coast last Friday.
The English textbook entitled, “Ideal Vocabulary for Reading and Writing,” is believed to be the first batch to penetrate the school libraries in Guyana. The first four schools to receive these text books last Friday were the Anna Regina Secondary, Cotton Field Secondary, Abram Zuil Secondary and the Eighth of May Secondary.
Author of the book, Peter Roger, was born in Guyana. He lived on the Corentyne before departing for the United States in 1975. He now serves as a Professor at BMCC in New York, U.SA.
Mr. Persaud said that the UNESCO institute for statistics shows that there are some 776 million adults who lack literacy in the world.
He added, “People without literacy tend to act more arrogant in society. On the contrary people that are literate help to improve efficiency and productivity.
“We’re all involved and are all consumed. Our donors, the Jagmohan brothers and VJ’s Fashion, all feel that there is an urgent need for an increase in literacy.”
These donors deemed it fitting to make the $2.5 million donation since there is a shortage of resources in schools across Guyana. Persaud said that he has an interest in youth development and would like to see development take place in the different schools.
Mr. Persaud believes that the books would be of great value to children. They are already popular in colleges in parts of the Caribbean and even in New York.
“We’ve sent a copy of the textbook to CXC for review. Another copy was sent to former Minister of Education, Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine. The text is already used in other parts of the Caribbean, such as St. Vincent. We believe that this book can make a difference in the lives of youths.”
‘Ideal Vocabulary for Reading and Writing,’ focuses on comprehension, grammar and vocabulary.
Teachers believe that the donation comes as a timely gesture since the interest children had in reading has depleted.
“We are happy and pleased that Mr. Persaud thought it fitting to donate these books. We would ensure that these books are used to the fullest. As it is, resources are limited for children. We need to target parents as well, we need to let them know how important the content of these books are.”
Teachers also expressed their readiness to use the new study aid to the fullest in classrooms. “We’re gonna ask teachers to go through the book and make sure kids use it.”
It was advised that assignments be given from the book so that students would be compelled to use it since reading has become a challenge in schools.

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