The Department of Education has officially launched National Reading Month with a renewed push to foster literacy, creativity and a love for reading among children and adults across the island.
The nationwide initiative was launched on Wednesday at the Dame Pearlette Louisy Primary School in collaboration with education stakeholders and forms part of a broader campaign encouraging citizens of all ages to embrace reading beyond the classroom.
Curriculum Officer in the Ministry of Education, Jennifer Raphael, described the observance as one of the department’s most significant literacy initiatives.
“This commemoration of the month actually is one of the biggest highlights for us at the Department of Education for reading,” Raphael stated. “As much as we want students to read for the entire year we feel that this month should be designated to enjoyment, students really enjoying reading.”
She explained that while students regularly engage in academic reading, the focus during May is to promote reading as a pleasurable and imaginative activity.
“Yes they read academically, they read in different spaces but this month we want to bring out the joy of reading and the theme for this month is ‘Reading Reimagined’,” she said.
Raphael noted that the programme includes several activities aimed not only at students, but also at teachers and schools nationwide.
“Another activity that we have, which targets teachers, is a webinar,” she explained. “This webinar will reach out to teachers, ‘Reading Reimagined’. What about teaching reimagined?”
She added that schools would also participate in creative literacy-based events throughout the month.
“Throughout the month our teachers, our students will be engaged in character development, interested as characters, character day,” Raphael said. “I think I saw some schools have a picnic. Creative ideas to bring our children on board for Reading Month.”
Meanwhile, Education Minister Kenson Casimir linked the observance to the ongoing digital transformation within the island’s education system, urging students to use technology responsibly and productively.
“We have this digital transformation occurring in our schools,” Casimir said. “We’ve installed a number of smart classrooms around the country. We’ve been giving devices to Form 1s who enter into secondary school.”
The minister encouraged parents to remain involved in monitoring how children use technology and social media platforms.
“We continue to encourage young people to use social media correctly, responsibly, and encourage parents to oversee what they are doing in terms of using their devices,” he stated.
Casimir also challenged students to use their devices as tools for learning and personal growth during the month-long observance.
“Use your device this month primarily to learn something new,” he urged. “Read, read what you know, read what you don’t know, and read something that can better develop you and what you want to be.”