Basseterre, St. Kitts, September 23, 2013 (SKNIS): The COURTS Local Reading Competition, which is a collaborative effort between COURTS Ltd., the Ministry of Education and co-sponsors, is said to be not just a reading competition, but a way to promote literacy in the Federation “in a fun filled and rewarding way.”
At the official launch on September 20, Jacquelyn Bassue, Reading Coordinator for the Curriculum Development Unit (CDU), noted that “a child who reads extensively becomes confident, develops a high self-esteem and is able to transition successfully from learning to read to reading to learn.”
“We at the Ministry of Education want to use this forum to encourage reading among our youth as is inextricably linked to effective speaking and writing,” she said. “It is also important in the growth of a nation.”
Ms. Bassue took the opportunity to acknowledge and commend COURTS Ltd. for their commitment and assistance over the past five years and noted that “it is such a worthwhile endeavour which contributes significantly to the success of students, not just in St. Kitts but across the region.”
Trudy Lewis-Allen, COURTS Ltd. Senior Manager, highlighted the company’s dedication to education and has invested $250,000 to promote literacy throughout the OECS.
“We at COURTS believe in education, we believe in educating the countries and the OECS students. We believe that a literate society is a stronger society.”
The competition started in Dominica five years ago as a local competition. COURTS recognised the value of the contest, got involved and expanded it to an OECS level.
The Local Reading Competition serves to benefit the nation’s youth by promoting literacy and engender in a fun filled way to encourage reading within the structure of an exciting healthy school’s competition, under the theme: “Promoting Literacy, Investing in our Nation’s Children.”
The competition also seeks to promote UNESCO’s efforts in “encouraging global literacy and the undeniable connection between a country’s economic growth and development and its literacy level.
The local winner will compete in the 5th Annual OECS COURTS Reading Competition which will take place in St. Lucia on October 17, 2013. It will assess reading fluency, accuracy, enunciation, smoothness, confidence and expression of participants. Each participant is expected to read two pieces; a narrative or story and a press release.