Implementation of Early Grades Readers Assessment progressing well

IMPLEMENTING of Early Grades Readers Assessment (EGRA) in Guyana has been progressing very well, according Head of the Curriculum Development and Implementation Unit of the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD), Ms. Bibi Shariman Ali. She gave the progress report following the conclusion of an October 13 to 18 workshop.

Ali said, since then, 38 staff and retired teachers have done work in Regions Two (Pomeroon/Supenaam), Three (West Demerara/ Essequibo Islands), Four (Demerara/Mahaica) and Five (Mahaica/Berbice).

She said, currently, Region One (Barima/Waini) is being targeted but the objective is to reach 2,700 grades one to three pupils, in at least 60 primary schools, countrywide. The joint effort, funded by the World Bank, in association with Research Triangle Institution (RTI) of Washington, D.C., has allowed facilitators, Ms. Jennifer Sprat and Ms. Emily Miksic of RTI, to work along with experienced educators for the purpose.

EGRA is a diagnostic instrument designed to quickly assess pupils’ skills for literacy acquisition and was developed in 2006 when United States Agency for International Development (USAID) created it to gauge reading. Ali said the field work, which is likely to continue through next week, will provide a baseline of solid evidence on how well pupils in the early grades are reading and make available a database to facilitate information needs of schools throughout Guyana.
She explained that EGRA will also enable NCERD to plan other programmes and training courses for enhancing literacy levels locally.

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