Guyanese are heartened that government is strengthening the education system in its continuous effort to provide school children and young adults to enter the job market with a sense of understanding and confidence. A high literacy rate among school children and young adults is one of the prerequisites for the genuine development of any country and if we could lay the groundwork to accomplish this, then we would be able to look forward to a brighter and better future, not only for the youth, but indeed the entire population.

We believe that the establishment of Literacy Centres at all Vocational Training Institutions as announced by Education Minister, Mr. Sheik Baksh, will have a double barrel effect on our youth. (i) It will provide them with skills and a high degree of understanding at the end of their training which will help them on the job market or if they choose to become self employed (a matter of preference) and (ii) of equal importance, they will not be tempted into drugs usage and dealing and crime.

Vocational Training has helped the youth population in several countries. Right here in the Caribbean, Cuba is a shining example of successful Vocational Training, and millions of youths come out of these Vocational Training Institutions, well equipped and armed with their skills to cope in society. A visit to one of these Institutions in Cuba will certainly leave one in awe to see the youths showing off their respective skills, sometimes on products which could be readily exported.

The people appreciate the work currently being done by the National Centre for Education and Research Development (NCERD), in its feverish and tireless efforts to ensure that school children and young adults enter mainstream society with a high literacy rate which will assist them tremendously to chart the way forward in their everyday activities later in life. NCERD is currently spreading its literacy crusade throughout the country. This is a clear message that the Ministry of Education will leave no stone unturned in its determination to present this country with a literate youth population.

The people support this forward thrust by the Ministry of Education and point to Minister Sheik Baksh’s address to graduands and parents last week at the Upper Corentyne Industrial Training Centre when he mentioned that the government $115 million literacy programme is geared to reverse the level of illiteracy in Guyana over the next few years, and over 9,000 students in schools and some 4,500 young adults will benefit from the programme.

It is also welcome news that Grade Six students will also benefit from a special literacy programme after they would have completed the National Grade Six Assessment.

We join in the call by the Minister urging parents to ensure their children complete their education, noting that too many children drop out of schools because they lack basic literacy and numeracy skills and when they enroll in Technical Institutions they are unable to cope with the work.

The Government’s intention of reducing and or eradicating illiteracy among our youth population is clear. It has sounded the battle drums and the war on illiteracy has begun. We as Guyanese are required to help win this war.

Unless we help to arrest this morbid state of affair, our school children and young adults will be dissolved in oblivion.