Tweet
- Teachers claim grade four reading programme has failed
published: Tuesday | June 5, 2007
Tavia Peterson and Sajoune Rose, Gleaner Writers
Some Corporate Area primary school teachers are complaining that students are still not performing as they ought to on the grade four literacy exam.
One teacher told The Gleaner that at least half the grade four students were reading below the required level at her school.
According to the teacher at King Weston Primary and Junior High School in St. Andrew, "at least 50 per cent of the students in grade four are illiterate."
She continued: "I do not think that the programme implemented by the Government for students who have failed will be effective. They use the same papers each time and the students are drilled. They do not know the material, so we have a lot of students failing the test each year," she explained.
Another teacher attached to the Paisley Primary and Junior High School, also in St. Andrew, told The Gleaner that "Even though they have a reading resource centre at the school, students are still failing the (grade literacy) test because they do not attend (class) on a regular basis."
Just two months ago, Minister of Education and Youth, Maxine Henry-Wilson, acknowledged that illiteracy in primary schools was, in fact, high. She noted that results showed that at least 40 per cent of students sitting the Grade Four Literacy Test and the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT), were not reading at their required level. Twenty per cent of the students, she reported, had learning difficulties and were not receiving the attention they ought to. She admitted that the poor state of the early childhood education system was a contributing factor.
Agreeing that the early childhood system was not preparing children for primary school, Jamaica Teacher's Association President, Hopeton Henry said:
"When it comes to the Grade One Assessment, quite a number are not ready. These are the children of the backyard and verandah basic schools which need to be removed."
He said these children go through the system and the impact is seen later at grade four where they fail to perform at the required level when the next major assessment is carried out.
Surveys commissioned by the Ministry of Education have also shown that 35 per cent of the children involved in violence are also illiterate.
Speaking to The Gleaner yesterday, Mrs. Henry-Wilson noted that her ministry had begun deploying literacy teachers to the 100 lowest performing primary schools under a new literacy programme announced two months ago. At least 120 of them are to be deployed to the schools in phases to help reduce the level of illiteracy. A national literacy co-ordinator has also been named as well as regional co-ordinators.
Declining to comment further on the programme, Mrs. Henry-Wilson said she would address the issue entirely during her contribution to the Sectoral Debate next Tuesday.
published: Tuesday | June 5, 2007
Tavia Peterson and Sajoune Rose, Gleaner Writers
Some Corporate Area primary school teachers are complaining that students are still not performing as they ought to on the grade four literacy exam.
One teacher told The Gleaner that at least half the grade four students were reading below the required level at her school.
According to the teacher at King Weston Primary and Junior High School in St. Andrew, "at least 50 per cent of the students in grade four are illiterate."
She continued: "I do not think that the programme implemented by the Government for students who have failed will be effective. They use the same papers each time and the students are drilled. They do not know the material, so we have a lot of students failing the test each year," she explained.
Another teacher attached to the Paisley Primary and Junior High School, also in St. Andrew, told The Gleaner that "Even though they have a reading resource centre at the school, students are still failing the (grade literacy) test because they do not attend (class) on a regular basis."
Just two months ago, Minister of Education and Youth, Maxine Henry-Wilson, acknowledged that illiteracy in primary schools was, in fact, high. She noted that results showed that at least 40 per cent of students sitting the Grade Four Literacy Test and the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT), were not reading at their required level. Twenty per cent of the students, she reported, had learning difficulties and were not receiving the attention they ought to. She admitted that the poor state of the early childhood education system was a contributing factor.
Agreeing that the early childhood system was not preparing children for primary school, Jamaica Teacher's Association President, Hopeton Henry said:
"When it comes to the Grade One Assessment, quite a number are not ready. These are the children of the backyard and verandah basic schools which need to be removed."
He said these children go through the system and the impact is seen later at grade four where they fail to perform at the required level when the next major assessment is carried out.
Surveys commissioned by the Ministry of Education have also shown that 35 per cent of the children involved in violence are also illiterate.
Speaking to The Gleaner yesterday, Mrs. Henry-Wilson noted that her ministry had begun deploying literacy teachers to the 100 lowest performing primary schools under a new literacy programme announced two months ago. At least 120 of them are to be deployed to the schools in phases to help reduce the level of illiteracy. A national literacy co-ordinator has also been named as well as regional co-ordinators.
Declining to comment further on the programme, Mrs. Henry-Wilson said she would address the issue entirely during her contribution to the Sectoral Debate next Tuesday.
Comment