By Fareeza HaniffIn an effort to improve on its National Literacy Initiatives,[url=http://www.cheapjerseysfactorywholesale@#$%&/]Jerseys NFL Wholesale[/url], and to eradicate illiteracy in Guyana,[url=http://www.footlockershop.us@#$%&/Nike-roshe-one-flyknit/]http://www.footlockershop.us@#$%&/Nike-roshe-one-flyknit/[/url], the Ministry of Education yesterday held a public consultation at the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD) in Kingston, Georgetown.The consultation targeted Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) on the status of literacy in Guyana with a view of recommencing more robust implementation strategies.National Literacy Coordinator, Murray Greenidge, said that since the literacy programme was implemented one year ago, reading tests have been administered to some 4,000 students at schools in Grades Three and Four.He added that just under four months of the programme, the literacy educators were able to include an additional 2,[url=http://www.cheapnfljerseysmr.us@#$%&/]Authentic NFL Jerseys Wholesale China[/url],000 participants from just over 200 schools across the country.To date,[url=http://www.footlockershop.us@#$%&/Nike-roshe-one-hyperfuse/]http://www.footlockershop.us@#$%&/Nike-roshe-one-hyperfuse/[/url], there are approximately 6,000 students who are involved in the programme,[url=http://www.cheapjerseysnear.us@#$%&/]cheap nfl jerseys[/url], which started when there were just over 200 literacy educators who were trained and twelve regional coordinators appointed.Now there are 257 literacy educators involved, along with 14 regional educators.There are now 30 literacy educators in each region in Guyana, except for Regions Eight and Nine, which have half of that number. There are 52 in Region Four.According to Greenidge, training and constant literacy upgrade has been delivered in the programme. Currently, Region Ten is undergoing their second literacy educators upgrade workshop.He explained that the children whom the literacy educators are dealing with are not normal, as most of them suffer from intellectual disabilities and are most of the times described by teachers as problem kids, since they do not score as high as the others.?We have kids coming from single parent homes, broken homes, children who lost parents to HIV/ AIDS and those things, and we also have kids travelling long distances, and are hungry,? Greenidge said.He added that the literacy educators have risen to the challenge of actually assisting the children, as the programme has helped many children in improving on their reading.However, Greenidge noted that the programme has had its fair share of challenges of actually getting adults to stay in the programme.He explained that the problem is not getting them into the programme; it is having them stay throughout the entire course,[url=http://www.cheapnfljerseysmr.us@#$%&/]Jerseys NFL Wholesale China[/url], since as soon as the adults are able to write their names and fill out a form, they never return to the course.?We need our adults to be able to read and comprehend the deeper concepts that they will find.?Minister of Education, Shaik Baksh expressed his disappointment that the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) and the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) did attend the consultation, despite being invited.Minister Baksh explained that the fast track initiative programme is also dealing with the area of adult literacy but no representatives from the unions were present.?I am really not satisfied with the response to our call for the involvement in the adult literacy programme because I feel that it is our cohesive group that we can target to do something.?He added that apart from other bodies, the GTUC represents a large number of workers here in Guyana and some of whom would not be literate.?We invited them to come on board over the past year, but they seem to be very reluctant and it is not a good sign of their interest in the education of the work force in this country and I want to call upon them to really come onboard with us, since we can take the literacy programme to the workplace.?The literacy initiative is in the strategic plan of the ministry, which has established a number of goals that it has to achieve at the end of the programme.This includes children who are attaining 50 percent or more in Grades Two, Four and Six at the primary level of education national assessments to increase from 30 percent to 60 percent.He noted that a dedicated effort is needed to strengthen the primary level of education in Guyana.