READING ALARM

The Chief Education Officer has sounded an alarm about the language skills among primary school students, suggesting a need for immediate attention to the way literacy is taught in Barbados, as a task force on literacy enters its third month in operation.

Dr Ramona Archer-Bradshaw revealed an analysis of the national test data of children from year three in primary school to year four of secondary school at the launch of the National Task Force on Literacy Education on Wednesday, at the Erdiston Teachers Training College (ETTC).

Results for the criterion reference test – a diagnostic examination set for primary school students around age seven – from 2012 to 2021 show weak foundation skills for most students in Infants B and Class 2. 

Archer-Bradshaw also pointed to language gaps based on the 11-Plus examination for entry into secondary school and the latest assessment of high school students. The 11-Plus or Common Entrance Exam – formally known as the Barbados Secondary Schools Entrance Examination (BSSEE) – is to be abolished under ministry proposals for education reform.

The education chief said: “Data derived from the [BSEEE], for the same period reveals that an average of 20 per cent of students scored less than 50 per cent, 13 per cent of students scored below 40 per cent, while an average of eight per cent scored less than 30 per cent. And this is in English. A cursory glance at the cumulative data suggests that while some deficits identified at the Infants B and Class 2 levels were remediated, some students continued to underperform at the BSSEE level.

“Moreover, data derived from the National Assessment of Secondary Schools 2023, which was administered to determine the English proficiency of second, third, and fourth formers, showed that the mean performance of students in English was 47 per cent. Of concern was the number of schools which recorded students who scored zero per cent as a minimum score at the three form levels. Out of the 21 secondary schools, 11 of them had students who gained zero per cent as a minimum score at the second form level, seven schools with students who scored zero per cent as a minimum score at the third form level, and four schools with students gaining zero per cent as a minimum score at the fourth form level.”

To respond to the findings, the Ministry of Education has initiated a “strategic reading action plan” for 2024-2025, the education chief disclosed. In addition to meetings with principals, training courses are being organised and conducted by the ETTC. The strategy also recommends the use of evidence-based teaching strategies and approaches in reading for primary and select secondary schools.

Archer-Bradshaw pointed to the setting up of a Task Force on Literacy Education at the start of the year with a sweeping mandate. It includes setting a strategic direction, improving outcomes, fostering a love for reading, collaborating with institutions, conducting research, advocating for increased investment, and representing literacy education at national events.

“Despite our achievements, disparities in educational outcomes persist,” she said. “The task force can recommend and implement targeted programmes to ensure that every Barbadian, regardless of their socioeconomic background, has access to quality literacy education. By focusing on early intervention and support, we can lay a strong foundation for lifelong learning and success.

“The task force can also help the Ministry of Education embrace digital literacy. The digital revolution has transformed the way we live, the way we work, and the way we communicate. However, to fully participate in this digital world, our citizens must be equipped with the necessary digital literacy skills. The task force will champion the integration of digital literacy into our educational frameworks so that all Barbadians are prepared to thrive in a digital economy.”

Meanwhile, Minister of Education, Technological and Vocational Training Kay McConney said the launch of the task force marks a critical juncture for Barbados, signalling a concerted effort to address literacy challenges comprehensively across various sectors. She said there was a need for a unified approach to elevate the nation’s literacy standards, noting that significant work had to be done to improve the state of literacy and numeracy.

“We have to move beyond the very ad hoc approaches we have used to literacy planning and programmes and we have to develop a national strategy that will allow us to think together strategically to redefine what literacy means in this 21st century, to reset our priorities and targets for literacy, and allow us to intervene with evidence that is informed by sound, current research,” she said.

Acknowledging the role of teachers, McConney announced plans to strengthen support for literacy and numeracy teachers in primary schools by September 2024. The decision was prompted by feedback from teachers during education transformation consultations in 2023.

“The advent of technology has certainly revolutionised the way teaching and learning are both constructed and conducted within our school system. Virtual classrooms have become commonplace. The advancement of artificial intelligence will continue to make the acquisition of knowledge and skills more accessible to all. Still, in the midst of all of these advancements, the basic ability to read and write remains foundational to learning,” the education minister said, adding that literacy needs to be addressed at every level, including tertiary institutions like the Samuel Jackman Prescod Institute of Technology.

She said she envisioned collaborations between the National Task Force on Literacy, her ministry, the Erdiston Teacher Training College, the Ministry of Labour, and other stakeholders, including the National Cultural Foundation (NCF).

“There is room for more. The task force has been constituted, but there is room for other partners and stakeholders to be a part of this national effort. We imagine and anticipate that the task force will be working with parents, will be working with educators, will be working with community organisations, various government agencies and other stakeholders, including the University of the West Indies [and] the National Library Service, with community-based literacy programmes to determine how existing programmes can be strengthened and expanded,” the education minister said.

“This task force is not meant to reinvent the wheel in every single area. It is meant to introduce what we need to introduce. It’s meant to tell us what we need to let go of. It is meant to tell us what we need to hold onto and tweak, expand and strengthen. so that we continue to build on what is already there; not that they’re coming to start from scratch in every way.” 

(RG)