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Through partnership between Digicel Foundation and Vision Development Foundation
Kingston, Jamaica – 20 May 2010: Approximately 2,500 students who attend the Boy’s Town All Age, Central Branch All Age, Iris Gelly Primary, Jones Town Primary and the Trench Town Primary Schools will benefit from the implementation of “The Primary Success in Reading Programme”, which was launched by the Vision Development Foundation through the support of the Digicel Foundation.
Member of Parliament, Dr. Omar Davies said quite confidently at the launch – “The programme will seek to address the high levels of functional illiteracy which characterize the students of most inner-city schools.” According to Joan Ernandez, Programme Developer and Coordinator of Vision Development Foundation, “All thirty-three teachers of Grades 1-3, from the five schools, participated in the first training session. We emphasize that a fundamental part of the Programme focuses on the teachers, by training them and providing materials that will strengthen reading instruction, propelling the students to becoming literate by Grade 4.” Major General Robert Neish, Executive Director of Digicel Foundation who was on hand for the official launch, shared his thoughts on the Programme – “Digicel Foundation’s primary focus is on Education as we recognize it is extremely important to lay a solid foundation at this critical stage in our children’s education. We are happy to support the vision of this Programme but it is up to the teachers now to look after all the tools they’ve been given, enhancing the Programme with their own creativity and ingenuity to guarantee the Programme’s longevity.” Thirty-five classroom libraries were handed over to the Principal’s of the various schools involved, each filled with 100 books to promote reading within the classrooms. The Programmed Reading Intervention for Mainstream At Risk Youths (PRIMARY) Success in Reading Programme will also be offering training for Basic School teachers in South St. Andrew.
