Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon, has underscored literacy as a cornerstone of Jamaica’s development, emphasising that the country’s future hinges on its children’s ability to read.
Positioning literacy as a non-negotiable priority, she pointed to deliberate policy actions being taken to ensure that reading is embedded in the daily school experience.
“If we’re going to build the country that we want, our children have to be literate and that’s what we’re doing in the Ministry of Education. We’re prioritising literacy, starting in our primary schools,” she said.
Dr. Morris Dixon was speaking to JIS News after participating in a reading session with students at Petersfield Primary and Infant School in Westmoreland on Tuesday (May 5), as part of Read Across Jamaica Day.
The Education Minister also journeyed to St. Elizabeth on the day to read with students at Brompton Primary School.
She indicated that the Ministry has moved beyond advocacy to structured implementation, ensuring that reading is formally integrated into classroom routines.
“We’ve timetabled reading, put it on the timetable, because it has to happen,” she said.
Dr. Morris Dixon noted that literacy extends beyond language development, serving as a critical enabler of broader academic success and cognitive advancement.
“We know that when a child can read, it means also that they can do mathematics. It means that their brain is working differently, it means that we can get the outcomes that we want for our children,” she pointed out.
The Minister also reflected on the significance of the day’s engagement in western Jamaica, where many students continue to navigate challenging circumstances, noting that the simple act of reading can have a powerful emotional impact.
She said that the experience was a reminder of the resilience and potential of the nation’s youth, even in the face of adversity.
“They’re the most delightful children and even though they’ve gone through so much, you see them lighting up as they hear these lovely stories,” she said.
Read Across Jamaica Day is observed annually to promote a culture of reading and to strengthen literacy development among children at all levels of the education system.
This year’s observance was held under the theme ‘Literacy Resilience: Foundation to Nation Building’.
