US Embassy makes donation to CW Prescod Primary

On Thursday, November 3, 2011, students of grades 2 and 3 of the CW Prescod Primary School received bags of books compliments the United States Embassy.{{more}}

The month of November is being celebrated as “Education Month” by the US Embassy and as part of their celebrations, they are donating books to students in the Caribbean, through their programme called “books in a bag”.

Vice Counsellor of the US Embassy Joia Starks said to date they have donated 2,810 books to students in the region, and by year end that total will increase to 3000. She said the programme is designed to get as many books as possible to the children of the region.

Starks said they acknowledge the power of education, noting that it is an opportunity to change someone’s life. She said their very own President Barrack Obama is an example of someone whose life was transformed by education.

She urged the students to take good care of the books, as they are expected to read them, then pass them on to other schools, so other students can get an opportunity to read them.

The programme donates a selection of books from the 2011 American Library Association’s Notable Children’s Books list, packed into wheeled duffel bags to make them easier to circulate from class to class around a school.

Principal of the CW Prescod Primary Hyacinth Harry said she is overwhelmed by this gesture from the US Embassy. She said that she is cognizant of the fact that today’s children are more into technology than reading, but noted that in order for students to operate technology effectively, they must be able to read.

Harry noted that at the C.W. Prescod Primary, a lot of attention is paid to reading, as reading opens the doors to the rest of the world. She said that they will ensure that the books are used for the purpose for which they were given.

Senior Education Officer for Primary Schools Elizabeth Walker expressed gratitude to the US Embassy for forging the partnership. She noted that despite the global economic crisis they saw it fit to assist.

She said the donation is timely, as it comes at a time when the Ministry of Education is focusing on Literacy. She said that there is a comprehensive literacy programme at the CW Prescod School and the books donated will enhance it.