Tennisha A. Morris' 'Arrest literacy problems early' published on Saturday, June 27, is worthy of more than passing interest, as the recommendation made should be taken on board in the Education Transformation project, by the minister, and by the Ministry of Education.

I have to agree with the writer that if the Ministry of Education and the country are to begin to address the matter of the more than 30 per cent of students who leave primary school after sitting the GSAT without having acquired basic literacy skills, then the emphasis must be placed at grade one, and not begin at grade four.

The question must be asked, what is the rationale for the wait to identify the literacy skills of the students at grade four, when as the writer points out, those students that the ministry wants to assess at grade four make up the 30 per cent who leave the primary school without acquiring basic literacy skills? Minister of Education, it seems that the writer has a suggestion worthy of consideration. Why wait for the sapling to become a tree before the shaping takes place?

I would repeat for emphasis, the question asked by the writer: "Why not have these students resit the grade-one inventory until they are certified ready for grade one?"

Could I implore the minister of education and his administration to "change course" and shift the emphasis from grade four to grade one?

I am, etc.,

C.A. JOHNSON

Spanish Town