Observer column for MON 29 JUN 2015 by Jean Lowrie-Chin
Lisa Lewis, former Chair, Digicel Foundation, embraced the Ministry of Education Enrichment Programme |
“Son-Son” was worried.
Where was his teacher, Mrs. Nicholas?
The third-grader had been attending the cool, colourful enrichment centre
at Horizon Park Primary in St. Catherine for over a year, and had gone from
being a non-reader to a boy who loved words. Mrs Nicholas, the centre manager
was always there, celebrating every new learning milestone with him, but today
she was not at school. He stood at the
door, peeked through the keyhole and fretted.
Towards the end of the day, Son-Son walked dejectedly
towards the school gate, only to see his long-lost teacher driving in. Mrs
Nicholas, who was relating the story to our gathering at the Horizon Park
prize-giving last Friday, explained that she gave the student that name because
she had become so involved in his progress that she felt like his mother. She had attended a training seminar that day,
she explained to her relieved student – she had not deserted him.
The teacher gave the child a lift and when she reached
home, she saw a lovely East Indian mango in the place where Son-Son had been
seated. The next day he checked that she had got his present, saying he had
wanted to give her something for a long time, so much did he appreciate her
care.
'I feel like a star!' |
No wonder Principal Lloyd Bennett says he tends to cry
when he sees the achievements of the enrichment centre. His students are so
alert and happy. Horizon Park has one of 97 such centres, a Ministry of
Education programme started by Dr Michelle Meredith in 2009 and
enthusiastically embraced by then Chairman of the Digicel Foundation Lisa
Lewis. The USAID became a generous partner and the three organisations have
joined together to implement the islandwide programme which has improved the
reading and math skills of 37,000 primary school students over the past four
years.
The centres use technology to make learning fun – big
screen videos, interactive whiteboards, and computer games, with colourful
furniture to match, make them an oasis for the children. Now they are skipping grade levels, and heads
are held higher.
Little Toni-Anne said, “I felt ashamed when I couldn’t
read. Now, I feel like a star!” Kudos to the enthusiastic teachers islandwide
who are sparking this pride in their pupils.
As this programme develops, it is up to us as parents,
teachers, community activists, to shore up the confidence of our children. On social media, we see that busy PSOJ
president William Mahfood has been addressing school graduations at Eltham Park
and Denbigh. When we ask how he manages such
engagements in his busy schedule, he says he makes the time “because I want to
encourage the children, I want them to have hope.”
How beautiful it was to hear New Horizon’s seven-year-old
Ashley Gouldbourne read from Jeremiah Chapter 29: “For I know the plans I have
for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you, plans to give you hope and
a future.”
Such are the words that will plant the confidence our
children need to succeed. Let us
remember and make the time to affirm our precious little ones.
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