The following question was posed to participants at a Gleaner Editors' Forum, dealing with literacy in society, at the newspaper's North Street, central Kingston offices yesterday.

Charles Douglas, Jamaica productivity centre

We need to separate from short-term realities and long-term realities. I think sometimes we survive in the short term, I think if we take someone who is not functionally literate, we can make some progress. It comes down to the economic incentive to help to improve literacy from level to level.

Allecia Lindsay, Education Transformation Team

There needs to be a change in attitude. We have to try and cultivate an attitude in Jamaica where they strive to learn. If we only place emphasis on the economic values and students see others not attaining these, they will get frustrated. We need to look at literacy eroding other problems. We can't just show them one option, so all stakeholders need to cultivate this attitude in society. It has to be promoted by the media and seen by persons who people most value, so the coaches at the football field and the DJs ... because if it's just the teachers who are reiterating this message, it seems that it is only important to the teachers.

Erica Ewbanks, member of the Education Transformation Team in the Ministry of Education

I think we need to sensitise the entire Jamaica on the importance of literacy, on how to read and write and how far it can take you. The Government needs to make it mandatory for every child to be sent to school. When I was younger, truancy officers would arrest parents whose children were not at school. I think that needs to come back, the sensitisation is essential and the Government has a role to play.

Laurel Brent-Harris, national literacy coordinator, Education Transformation Team in the Ministry of Education

We can't solely rely on the Government to provide the human and financial resources to advance literacy in Jamaica. We have to appeal to corporate Jamaica to give support to literacy endeavours not just by providing materials in classrooms, but we need to continue the coaching. There are persons who are young and need older professionals to share experiences. We need to pull in some healthy, strong, retired persons and draw on their experiences, which will balance what we are offering now.