The preliminary results of the Education Ministry’s reading initiative is one that has seen remarkable improvements by students in schools that were identified as having problems with reading. Minister for Education and Culture, Andrew Fahie, revealed this as he gave an update on the 2007/2008 School Year, on July 31.

“As the school year progressed we were able to meaningfully begin to address some of the problems that a few students continue to have with reading fluently and comprehending what they read,” he said.

The project was initiated at the Ivan Dawson and Isabella Morris Primary Schools, and Belsadys Donovan, one of the Territory’s outstanding retired principals and teacher has been credited for the project’s success.

“Ms Donovan, like a true teacher does, has gone above and beyond the call of duty in ensuring that our students in this programme improve their literacy skills thereby increasing their chances in succeeding in life,” Minister Fahie stated.

Within the next few weeks, the reading programme, the Education Minister revealed, will be expanded commencing with the Bregado Flax Primary Division on Virgin Gorda. The other public primary schools are to follow in a phased manner, the Minister added.  

In addition, the Ministry has received approval from UNESCO to fund a Literacy Intervention Programme in the Primary Schools under the UNESCO Participation Programme. 

“This project will be coordinated by the BVI National Commission for UNESCO and the Department of Education. It will be facilitated by a team of competent retired teachers in the area of reading. We must continue to empower our students, one student at a time,” Minister Fahie underscored.

Meanwhile, at the beginning of the new school year, the Ministry will have a national reading pre-test for all public primary schools. 

And additionally Government is in the process of implementing a new policy for the school year 2008/2009, commencing with the public primary schools where reading time for all classes will be done every day for at least one hour per day. 

“The UNESCO Literacy Project will work hand in glove with this initiative.  This will allow us to continuously move our children’s reading and literacy skills from good to great,” Minister Fahie explained.

Before the end of the up-coming school year, a post test will be administered to all public primary schools students where the progress of the initiative by student, class, school, among others, will be recorded, assessed and interpreted. 

This initiative along with others will be recorded and assessed by the education officers as well as the new statistical unit that is coming on stream during the course of the 2008/2009 School Year. 

“Our education system must ensure that our decisions are based on accurate statistical data and not on random interpretations as has been the custom for the most part in the past,” the Education Minister concluded. (AE)

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