Under the theme “Promoting Multilingual Education: Literacy for Mutual Understanding and Peace,” International Literacy Day 2024 was observed across Belize. On Friday, September 13th, the San Pedro Roman Catholic Primary School celebrated the annual event with education and fun activities that engaged their students in literature, drama, languages, patriotism, and folklore.
Annually observed on September 8th, this year’s event was held some days later to ensure that schoolchildren were a part of the celebration. The event, observed worldwide, serves as a platform to highlight the importance of literacy. As such, teachers at the Roman Catholic Primary School assisted in setting up booths around the school compound. Around 10AM, the literacy fair started welcoming the students from the different classrooms and family members.
Students throughout the campus actively engaged in the booths, introducing them to Spanish and the Belize National Anthem in various languages. They eagerly participated in word fishing and anthem sequencing activities, showcasing their enthusiasm for learning and celebrating diversity.
Other booths featured Creole plays like the popular Anansi and the Turtle stories, followed by plays of The Little Riding Hood and the Three Little Pigs. Principal Roxani Kay was pleased with the event, which annually highlights literacy rates and brings to the forefront the need for literacy in a world where thousands of languages are spoken and different cultures interact daily. She added that continued reading and interactive activities have helped improve literacy rates in the school. These methods mean lifelong learning opportunities that must be embraced and encouraged at every school level.
Students were also reminded to take pride in being from a multicultural and multilingual country like Belize.
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Science, and Technology has been a critical advocate in promoting literacy at the primary education level. Their proactive approach, including implementing the Literacy Alive program, is a reassuring sign of their commitment to addressing literacy challenges.
The program’s main objective is to address the foundational literacy needs of students, especially those who have faced challenges due to the pandemic. The disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, which led to virtual classes, has undoubtedly affected some students’ learning, and the program aims to provide the necessary support and interventions.
To support students facing challenges, Literacy Alive aims to assess students’ language proficiency levels and provide tailored interventions to improve their reading skills. The ministry has provided an overview of the program to the staff of 58 government primary schools, focusing on training Standard 2 and 3 teachers for the Academic Year 2023-2024. The program is expected to continue addressing the challenges of inadequate literacy skills and provide educators with the necessary tools and methodologies.
At the end of this year’s Literacy Day at the San Pedro Roman Catholic School, the school administration expressed gratitude to parents, students, teachers, and attendees for their ongoing support. They also praised the volunteers and emphasized the importance of teaching children about diverse cultures and languages through reading and exploration.
