Early Childhood Literacy improves learning

Sixty percent of adult Papua New Guineans cannot read, write and understand simple English. Additionally, only seven out of ten students complete primary school (2015 Literacy Report). Some of the contributing factors to this are children are ill-prepared for formal schooling and lack of supportive environment due to low literacy of parents.

World Vision and its partners under the Together for Education (T4E) which includes Child Fund, Consultative Implementation & Monitoring Council (CIMC), and Library for All, and the University of Canberra are working together with the Provincial and District Divisions of Education including other stakeholders to improve literacy and numeracy in elementary school children.

To commemorate the 2018 International Literacy Day, Boana and Flierl Elementary school children were asked why reading a book is important and how it would help to improve their literacy and numeracy skills. An elementary child said that, reading books give them knowledge.

T4E is supported by the Australian Government in partnership with the Government of Papua New Guinea through the PNG Partnership Fund.

The project focuses on increasing the capacity of teachers to boost literacy and numeracy in elementary schools, literacy boost trainings and workshops were conducted for 77 teachers in both Markham and Nawaeb District.

To complement these trainings, other materials such as curriculum books and 50 tablets with pre-installed stories were given to two elementary schools in these districts to help children read and adapt to the e-library technology with support from Library for All Australia.