Jujube launches its Literacy campaign

The Jujube bookstore received great support on Saturday, April 30, as they launched their literacy campaign. The launch took place at the Demarara Car Park at Lower Middle Street.{{more}}

Managing Director of Jujube Michelle Samuel explained that the Campaign will have four aspects which will all encourage children to improve Literacy skills. The four aspects of the campaign are Reading Circles, Reading Counts, Read, Write, Win and KID$ense.

Congratulating Samuel on her efforts to promote literacy, Education Officer in the Ministry of Education Joycelyn Blake-Browne stated that the Ministry will continue to collaborate and support such initiatives. Blake-Browne highlighted that in today’s classrooms there are high levels of diversity in terms of “language ability, experiential background, individual differences, interests and attitudes, and even more.”She added that initiatives have been made by both the Ministry of Education and schools to improve Literacy skills among children, such as professional development for principals and teachers, appointment of graduate teachers, learning support teachers and literacy and numeracy agents at the primary level.

Speaking about the one laptop per child initiative, Blake-Browne stated that it will enable students to increase their learning potential. “Students will now have the opportunity to use the tool as a learning and research tool, to increase learning potentials. Not only will they be working harder, but smarter,” she said.

On the area of technology and learning, Dr. Kenneth Onu of Eyes R Us, a co-sponsor of the Campaign, stated that children of this generation learn differently than their parents, and technology is integrated into their learning.

Byron Wilson, a representative of Pearson, also congratulated Jujube on their initiative. Pearson will sponsor the Read Write Win programme of the Campaign. Wilson said that Pearson has sponsored the programme as they want people to start reading again. He said the institution would like to reintroduce reading as a hobby, adding that Pearson likes to reward persons for a job well done. In addition, Wilson said that Pearson is aware that Literacy is the foundation of Education, “so that if you can’t read or write, we have a name for you and we say that you are illiterate. If you can’t do Maths, we do not have a name for you. It shows the importance of reading and writing.”

Also giving remarks were Managing Director Michelle Samuel, who outlined the aspects of the programme, and Suzette Abbott-King, representative of the SVG Readers Association. Abbott- King congratulated Jujube on the launch of its campaign and also pledged the support of the SVGRA in improving Literacy nation wide.

The event also included dancing by Arabesque Dance Company, reading of poetry and Yface painting and colouring.