Universal literacy should be a priority goal of any nation; and, with only the rare exception due to innate inabilities, every child should be expected to become a proficient reader, performing at his or her natural (chronological) age level. Children must be able to read well to reach their greatest potential in the education system and to fully participate in the opportunities of life. Poor literacy rates left unattended at the primary level are correlated to eventual high crime rates, high unemployed rates, underemployment and, of course, reduced access and achievement with respect to secondary education in the short term.
We applaud the consistent effort and hard work of our primary and secondary school teachers, and we also acknowledge the challenges they face in teaching our children to read. We need more reflection on, and urgent analysis of our national literacy rates so as to fully understand key contributing factors and possible solutions.
One vital question in this regard is, “Are the results revealed by the McMillan testing apparatus, over the years, giving a true picture of our children’s reading ability?” If this is so, then a significant number of our precious Anguillian children are not reading well enough to access higher education, think critically or communicate effectively. To the sympathetic observer, this scenario poses a serious and uncomfortable challenge for our children and our island.
The Anguilla Department of Education has recently published the End of Year Report 2016-17 with national reading results over a seven-year period from 2011 through 2017, for primary school Grades 3 to 6. To summarise:
? For Grade 3: In 2013 and from 2015 to 2017, 50-55% of the children read at or above their chronological age level. However, the figure hovered at 50% in 2017; while less than 50% read at age level in 2011, 2012 and 2014.
? In Grade 4: In 2016 and 2017, 52 and 51% of the children read at or above age level, respectively; yet less than half did so from 2011-2015.
? Grade 5 children able to read at or above age level edged up slightly year to year, from 52% in 2013 up to 58%, 56%, and then 62% by 2016, before a dip to 54% in 2017. 2011 and 2012, however, yielded less than half achieving age-appropriate literacy.
? By Grade 6, age-level reading approached 2 out of 3 children with 58 and 59% in 2012 and 2013, flattening to 57% in 2014, and then peaking in 2015 at 68%. These were followed by 63 and 61% in the last 2 years. 2011 was the only reported year with less than half the children reading at age level.
These scores also suggest that in 2013, 59% of the 238 registered Grade 6 students entering Campus B Form 1 were able to read at or above their respective chronological level. For comparison, 126 (53%) of them wrote the compulsory CXC CSEC English A examination 5 years later. Of these, a little more than half (54.8%) achieved grades I and II on their CSEC examinations; while the actual number earning such grades was about a quarter of the original 238, overall.
Such academic milestones offer additional insights if considered a few years earlier: Fewer than 50% of Grade 5 students were able to read at their chronological level in 2009 before they went on to enroll in Campus B in 2010. By 2015, about 1 out of 4 (28.7%) was able to graduate with the equivalent of a Secondary School Certificate (SCC), as defined by a minimum of 5 subjects, including English and Mathematics.
A Way Forward:
FORCE suggests the summoning of urgent will on behalf of all stakeholders to critically assess and investigate the causes of the literacy challenge. Successful authorities, who have significantly increased literacy rates and education standards generally, have acknowledged the depth of the issue before demonstrating an anxious proactivity to solve the problem. The consequences of inaction present unacceptable risks to Anguilla’s future development.
We recommend the following;
• Ensure that foundational tenets set out by the Literacy Policy document
are implemented.
• Consider fewer core subjects at primary school, so that more time is available to be spent on literacy.
• Explore different approaches to education delivery that may make learning more interesting and engaging.
• Limit with a view to rethink traditional testing at primary school, so teachers can continue to emphasize reading and comprehension, rather
than teaching for a test.
• Examine underlying reasons for lethargy and disconnect among students, parents and students to determine how best to tackle the challenges in the best interest of the vulnerable child.
• Conduct an in-depth analysis of the literacy challenge to assess the impact of such recommendations and/or to refine other initiatives, as
identified in the Literacy Policy document which was developed between
2010-2012.
• Revamp and implement the current literacy program throughout the education system based on such findings.
The FORCE would welcome the opportunity to collaborate with Education stakeholders to refine and implement such considerations with a view toward a vibrant child-centered education.
Lennox Vanterpool
Chairperson – FORCE (Focused on Redesigning Children’s Education)
