THE Education Ministry and the Guyana Telephone & Telegraph Company (GT&T) will be working closely, through a collaborative effort, to enhance the capabilities of children with the aim of fostering literacy in Guyana.
This was announced last week by the GT&T’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Yog Mahadeo and the newly-sworn Education Minister, Ms. Priya Manickchand at the inauguration of the schools literature ‘Know your stuff’ quiz competition, in the boardroom of the telephone giant on Brickdam, Georgetown.
The initiative, the brainchild of educator, Dr. Joyce Jonas, is one that seeks to build the minds of young persons in the field of literature through a creative and fun-filled way.
Jonas, who is known to have a deep interest in this area of study pointed out that this new venture is something she is passionate and excited about.
“I find this very exciting… I am passionate about life and literature is about life. I believe that one of the best subjects students can study is literature, because it is life-based but it should be fun and that is what the competition is about,” she told the media.
The students, who will be participating in the contest, will be drawn from the fourth forms and it is her belief that it will work smoothly with regards to any upcoming examinations, especially the Secondary Schools Entrance Examination (SSEE).
Jonas said one of the main goals of the exercise is to encourage children to be focused on the elements of the quiz, so that they can be well prepared for any challenges they may encounter during their examinations.
She said this is not intended to be extra lessons to what is being is taught at schools throughout the country. “It’s not anything extra but we will be working along with the teachers to enhance literacy capacity of students.”
Jonas said it is her hope that the innovation will be an encouragement to the other students to make a difference in the area of literature.
The literature text that will be used for the quiz are the same that will be used for the SSEE and would require participants to do short stories and plays in relation to what they have been studying. “All of the questions will be on examination material…not all will be simple; some will be complex, like identifying a speaker from a quote that is given,” she said.
Vital part
Additionally, Jonas said that some questions will be based on the authors and their backgrounds, since this is another vital part of literature. “We want them to be a bit more informed about the syllabus and it should be done in a more creative and fun way.”
Mahadeo said: “An investment in our children is an investment in our country’s development and, moreso, the world at large and we have a very deep interest in this area of development.”
He made reference to the fact that initiatives undertaken by GT&T and the Education Ministry have been successful over the years and this will be a continuous trend in Guyana.
“Over the years, we have been working with the Education Ministry and have been very successful in our efforts. We have the spelling bee competition, which saw Guyana participating, for the first time ever, in the regional competition …what we are doing is beyond our imagination,” Mahadeo said.
He said that the company realises the importance of nation building and will continue to support any project that is being executed in relation to the development of children at all levels. “We will continue in our efforts to support nation building.”
“When we start something, we always continue to ensure there is continued development so that we can further develop our country,” Mahadeo said.
He disclosed that, in the new year, for every term there will be some sort of competition that will give students the opportunity to exercise their skills and abilities, especially from a public standpoint.
“In the new year, there will be new ideas that we still have to discuss to enhance the learning capabilities of children,” Mahadeo revealed.
He said that the quiz is another stepping stone geared towards development of education in the country and these competitions will not only enhance the minds of children but give them the opportunity to be in the spotlight and be proud of their accomplishments.
“This is going to be an annual something; it is just the beginning, we will be playing our part as the communications company to ensure that we are significant in ensuring education is delivered,” Mahadeo assured.
Minister Manickchand lauded the undertaking and said she is pleased with the steps that are being taken to enhance the education sector.
“This is one to which I am looking forward,” she acknowledged.
She reflected that, over the years, GT&T has been bringing to the table ideas and interventions that have been working to develop the minds of persons from all walks of life and the various age groups.
“We believe the education of young people in Guyana should be continuous… we will be working to ensure that it is fast tracked also,” Manickchand said.
The minister said that, while Guyana has been excelling in the sector over the years, there is still a lot of work to be done.
“We have attained universal primary education but we will be working on attaining quality in that field and also at secondary level we will be working to ensure every child has access to education,” she said.
The minister said these are just a few of the challenges that she will be working to address, so that children can be on par with the rest of the world through the education system.
Directing her attention to the literature competition, once again, she said it would also work to benefit teachers, because it will urge them to implement teaching guides that are creative, which means taking a new approach to education.
Source: http://guyanachronicle.com/2011/12/11/education-ministry-gtat-collaborating-on-childrens-literacy-quiz