Strengthening literacy skills among Jamaican students remains a top priority for the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, as it works to improve learning outcomes and prepare young people for future success.
Portfolio Minister, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon, said foundational literacy and numeracy are at the heart of the Government’s education transformation agenda.
She made the remarks during a session on ‘Building a Resilient Education System in Partnership with the Diaspora’, at the 11th Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in St. James on June 15.
The Minister posited that improvements in examination performance and overall student achievement must begin with stronger foundations in reading and comprehension.
“The reality is yes; we want higher CSEC (Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate) passes, but we have to address the problems that cause that. If we do not fix the foundation, we’re not going to be able to build children who are ready for the future,” Senator Morris Dixon said.
She underscored that literacy remains one of the most important predictors of academic success.
“If you cannot read, you can’t do Maths. If you cannot read, you have no real future, and so for us literacy is important,” the Minister stated.
Senator Morris Dixon noted that reading has been restored to school timetables as part of efforts to strengthen literacy development in the early years.
“We are on a literacy campaign, and we have put back reading on the timetable,” she said.
In addition, the Ministry has undertaken initiatives to increase access to reading materials for students.
The Minister explained that changing consumer habits have resulted in fewer children’s reading books being available in bookstores, prompting the Ministry to develop and distribute its own materials.
“The Ministry had to do books, actually create books with Caribbean stories for our children and gave out stacks of books,” Senator Morris Dixon informed.
She maintained that literacy serves as the foundation for achievement across all subject areas and remains critical to developing analytical and problem-solving skills.
“If you can read you are a better reasoner and you do Maths better. So, all the outcomes we want start with reading,” the Minister added.
