The Ministry of Education’s $115M Fast Track Initiative Literacy Programme to reduce the level of illiteracy in Guyana since April has trained nearly three hundred literacy teachers and set up centres in most regions.

To date 285 literacy educators have been trained from eight regions, 147 operating centres established targeting 3,825 students and 681 adults, a press release from the Government Information Agency (GINA) said last week.

The project is yet to be implemented in Regions Eight and Nine but according to the ministry this will be done soon.

In Georgetown, 16 centres were established by 31 literacy educators targeting 465 students and 15 adults. It was noted that the beneficiaries are responding well to the programme.

Meanwhile, 11 NGOs have dispatched 51 literacy volunteers to 30 centres countrywide to train 315 students and 435 adults. Inspired by the success of large-scale literacy initiatives in several other countries including India, the programme which was launched in April targets 14,500 persons both adults and children. It aims to achieve 100% literacy in the 3 to 35-year age group.