A reading festival for ten selected basic schools in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region has
been held with a call on parents and stakeholders in educations to assist pupils develop interest and
motivate them to cultivate the habit of reading at the early grade level.
This will help them improve their reading skills. The Regional Coordinator, USAID Partnership for Education, Mrs. Clara Weobong, who made the call maintained that reading is the core foundation of all learning.
Therefore, teaching children how to read, particularly at the early grade level will determine their future educational success.
Therefore, teaching children how to read, particularly at the early grade level will determine their future educational success.
The reading festival nicknamed “Travel the World through Reading” was jointly organized by the USAID Partnership for Education, the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service, GES. It was on the theme: “Learn to Read, Read to Learn”.
The reading festivals which begun in ten regions has become an annual affair, based on the success of last year’s event.
It is a five year activity geared at improving Ghana’s performance in teaching and learning of literacy and numeracy skills, in the early grades.
It is a five year activity geared at improving Ghana’s performance in teaching and learning of literacy and numeracy skills, in the early grades.
The program further seeks to enhance basic education practices and management systems, for sustainable learning outcomes, especially in reading.
It is to strengthen parents, schools and local government capacity and engagement to support approximately 2.8 million school pupils from Kindergarten KG to primary three, P3, across 165 districts.
It is to strengthen parents, schools and local government capacity and engagement to support approximately 2.8 million school pupils from Kindergarten KG to primary three, P3, across 165 districts.
The learning project has so far ensured the distribution of 26 English books titles and a total of One hundred and ninety thousand, 52 copies of reading supplementary materials to all schools in the 13 districts of the Upper East Region.
Addressing the gathering, the Regional Coordinator, USAID Partnership for Education, Mrs. Clara Weobong indicated that training of One thousand, five hundred and 17 school management committees had been carried out, adding that another in-service training for teachers from KG1- P3 is yet to commence in all the 13 districts in their coverage area.
She bemoaned the continuous falling standards in education as evident in the perennial dwindling academic performance of students.
Mrs Weobeong however identified literacy and numeracy as major obstacles and underscored the urgent need to improve the area in order to produce the best human resource for the future.
The 2013 Early Grade Reading Assessment EGRA and Early Grade Mathematics Assessment, EGMA, report showed that only two 2 percent of pupils in lower primary are able to read and understand.
According to her, the situation can only be addressed if reading and writing are improved at the basic level, hence the reading festival.
According to her, the situation can only be addressed if reading and writing are improved at the basic level, hence the reading festival.
Some of the children demonstrated their reading skills. There were poetry recitals and cultural display at the event.
In all, ten schools took part in the reading festival, with fifty students from the Nabdam district.
Present at the function were dignitaries including the representative of the Tongo Rana, the Talensi District Chief Executive, Edward Awunnore and the District Director of Education, Stephanny Mosory, elders of the various communities, representative of SMC and PTA graced the occasion.
Present at the function were dignitaries including the representative of the Tongo Rana, the Talensi District Chief Executive, Edward Awunnore and the District Director of Education, Stephanny Mosory, elders of the various communities, representative of SMC and PTA graced the occasion.
GBC END
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