Librarian calls for a national drive in literacy

A NATIONAL literacy drive is necessary to prevent the importation of workers to fill jobs in the energy sector, according to former executive director of the National Library and Information System, Pamela Benson. She made the remark Thursday while addressing a luncheon meeting organised by the Rotary Club of Port-of-Spain Central at Queen’s Park Oval. Benson explained that a recent statement by Atlantic LNG that they could not find people who were adequately literate to employ, proved there was a need for literacy programmes and projects across the country, noting that if this is not done, the country may soon have to import workers for the energy sector.

Benson also explained that there was a need to ensure that the entire population became literate, if we were to really move forward to Vision 2020. She noted that while ALTA has been conducting adult literacy classes in libraries across the country, there were not enough libraries available to host the classes. She suggested that the format or methodologies used by ALTA be adopted to train people to teach adult literacy classes. She also suggested that people involved in the Trinidad and Tobago Association of Retired Persons (TTARP) could be paid a stipend and utilised to teach these classes. Benson said the prison system should also be used to deal with the problem.

She said it should be mandatory for persons entering the prison system to attend adult literacy programmes as part of their daily programme, and employees of CEPEP should be required to register for classes as part of their contract. These are just some of the ways that could be used to deal with the existing problem, she said. A recent survey conducted by ALTA showed that 77 percent of the population was literate, which means there were still 23 percent in need of assistance. She challenged the Government, rotary clubs and business community to embark on literacy drives, either collectively or as separate entity, in order to deal with this very significant problem, as well as to ensure that the country meets its objectives for Vision 2020.