Literacy training for CEPEP workers needs structured approach

THE EDITOR: On March 15 local newspapers reported Prime Minister Patrick Manning’s announcement that all CEPEP workers will soon receive adult literacy training “to make sure that CEPEP workers can read and write properly . . . they can read newspapers and understand as well as read the basic documents which you sign.’’ ALTA’s experience over the past 12 years working with the 55 percent of the population who are not able to read and understand newspapers indicates that this is a challenging task. As such, I would like to share some pertinent aspects of what the Adult Literacy Tutors Association has learned during this time. 

Learning to read, especially for adults who have already been through the school system, cannot be done “now for now.”  There is no quick fix.  The majority of adult literacy students will need 300 hours or more of instruction.   This means that the PM’s literacy programme will have to be long term and on going. ALTA’s free community-based classes have 1,000-1,500 students and around 200 ALTA-trained volunteer teachers.  This is because our experience shows that a ratio of not more than eight students per teacher is important for students to get the individual attention they need to learn. This means that Mr Manning should employ almost 800 adult literacy teachers to teach the 6,300 in CEPEP currently, unless some teachers teach more than one group.  This number of qualified experienced adult literacy teachers may be hard to find.  As far as I know, the ALTA Tutor Training course is the only local course offering teacher training in adult literacy.  

A structured programme is essential for success.  Students start the ALTA Programme in one of three different levels — Beginner, Level 1 or Level 2  — depending on their ALTA assessment results.  Each level requires 150 hours of instruction.  ALTA has published 54 books, which teach reading and writing skills in a step-by-step, sequential course using everyday local material.  The latter means that the ALTA Programme not only teaches literacy but equips adults with the life skills needed to function independently in TT today. Unfortunately much “adult literacy teaching” in our country is either simply a repeat of the same primary school material and methods that previously failed to teach these persons when they were at school or a hodgepodge of exercises photocopied from different literacy books.  

It is heartening to see literacy recognised as a key factor in making CEPEP workers more employable.  I hope that the money that is channelled into CEPEP in the name of literacy will be used for a comprehensive, structured adult literacy programme taught by trained adult literacy teachers so that literacy is indeed the outcome.  6,300 literate CEPEP employees would certainly be an achievement.  

PAULA LUCIE-SMITH
ALTA Founder