Major colleges throughout St. Elizabeth have positioned literacy on the forefront of their educating agenda as college students have been welcomed again on Monday, September 8, for the beginning of the 2025/2026 educational yr.
The establishments are decided to strengthen fluency and comprehension abilities among the many younger minds of the parish this yr by elevating their studying abilities, which can be a basis for achievement throughout all topic areas.
At Crawford Major & Toddler College, Principal, Shellian Madden, informed JIS Information that the college is absolutely aligned with a brand new obligatory studying programme instituted by the Ministry of Training, Abilities, Youth and Info.
That is to help in shifting the college’s literacy charge from the present 70 per cent to 95 per cent, she famous.
“The Ministry has now made it obligatory that the primary hour of college begins with studying and so all our academics have been educated for that programme,” Ms. Madden outlined.
“So, we’ll do studying each morning earlier than we begin the completely different topic areas,” she added.
Ms. Madden stated a toddler who struggles with studying will face challenges in different topics. As such, she identified that early literacy intervention and improvement are important.

The establishment is absolutely ready, with lecture rooms and the college grounds prepared after in depth summer time work, in keeping with Ms. Madden. Additionally, she famous that your complete workers complement is in place and are “mentally ready after psychosocial classes with the steerage counsellor”.
At Holland Major College, Principal, Simone Physician, identified comparable priorities. She stated that regardless of college students’ dependence on fashionable know-how and devices, many nonetheless lack fluent studying abilities.
“To realize all of this, it’s going to take partnership with the mother and father. I even informed mother and father through the devotional train that the identical enthusiasm they displayed in different spheres just lately, that we need to see the identical degree of enthusiasm in schooling,” Mrs. Physician defined.
She added that alongside literacy, Holland Major may also consider bettering efficiency in Arithmetic this faculty yr.
In the meantime, at Parottee Major College, Principal, Denash Clarke, pinpointed literacy, particularly studying, because the yr’s core goal.

She indicated that the establishment has interventions in place, comparable to afternoon and Saturday lessons, to assist bolster college students’ literacy.
The college is to additionally obtain extra help from its previous college students’ affiliation, which contributes to additional programmes to assist these children who want extra help, Ms. Clarke famous.
“In our Nationwide Training Inspectorate (NEI) score, we’re presently at good, and so we predict to get to the very best degree for subsequent score. Additionally, we’ve got two college students who’ve been assigned a shadow by the Ministry. So, we attempt our greatest to make sure that our college students are catered for,” Ms. Clarke underscored.
Within the meantime, the primary day of the brand new educational yr was marked by clean operations and excessive pupil turnout throughout the parish. Faculties reported a seamless and constructive begin with no notable hiccups.
Mother or father participation was notably excessive throughout all establishments as effectively.