( L - R ) Silvera, Brent-harris
If Jamaica is to improve its literacy rate, parental involvement has to be integral in the process, says Jennifer Silvera, regional literacy coordinator for the Ministry of Education's Region Six.
Speaking during a Gleaner Editors' Forum held recently at the newspaper's offices in central Kingston, Silvera said literacy efforts would be doomed if parents are not involved in their children's education.
"When we look at our children and the impact that illiteracy has on them, we really have to depend a lot on the parents," Silvera said.
The national literacy rate stands at 89 per cent. One of the Ministry of Education's main objectives is to raise the literacy levels of primary- and secondary-school students to, at least, 85 per cent reading at or above the grade-four level by 2015.
Meanwhile, Silvera said that, based on her interaction with some parents, it was evident that they were concerned about literacy and how to promote these activities among their children.
"But they simply don't know how," she added.
Working with parents
The regional coordinator said the ministry would continue working with parents to ensure that they understand the importance of literacy, adding that education is a partnership and has to be viewed as a national thrust.
In her remarks, Laurel Brent-Harris, national literacy coordinator, said parents do not have to be literate to provide support for their children.
"There are many things you can do to show that you have an interest in literacy," said Brent-Harris.
Meanwhile, Brent-Harris, who was appointed literary coordinator in the Education Trans-formation Team (ETT) 15 months ago, said several measures were implemented to improve literacy rates in the island's schools.
The ETT, an arm of the Ministry of Educa-tion, which was established to guide implementation of the 2004 Task Force recommendations, is spearheading the literacy drive.
She noted that literacy specialists were placed in some schools and there have been significant improvements in the performance of students in the 2008 Grade Four Literacy Test.
