As authorities try to revamp an interest in reading among schoolchildren and discourage the overuse of social media, Education Minister Sonia Parag has said that reading will become a stand alone subject in schools as opposed to just a component of another subject.
She made the disclosure while responding to concerns raised by Saudia Ferouz who was at the time representing the women’s arm of the Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana (CIOG) at the launch of a national consultation on “Social Media and its Consequential Effects on Children.”
Ferouz suggested that the Ministry of Education should reintroduce dedicated physical reading sessions for students in Forms One to Three. She said that reading should be formally incorporated into the school timetable, with specific periods set aside for students to engage in reading activities.
President Irfaan Ali had tasked the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance to coordinate the consultation that was launched last June 2 at the World Trade Centre in Kingston, Georgetown. The purpose was to gather the views and recommendations of stakeholders that could be considered as part of the government’s final approach and policy direction.
In addition to reading being introduced as a stand alone subject, Parag shared other measures that are being implemented. “We are furnishing schools with their own libraries so that they can have sessions of groups of students going to do that. We have introduced the literacy assessment in Grades Two and Four and that will continue, ensuring that by Grade Four, all students are literate to exit the primary school system.”
Meanwhile, representing the Guyana District of the Wesleyan Church, Clairmonte Boucher suggested that the discussion should be extended to Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) since parents would play an important role in implementing the measures that come out of the consultation. He observed that many parents rely on electronic devices to occupy their children while attending to household chores and may not understand the negative effects that excessive use of such devices can have on children.
Carlotta John of Children’s Arrow Daycare and Nursery raised concerns about the protection of children’s personal data online, questioning if any penalties are in place for offenders when children’s data or identities are stolen.
In response, Minister Gail Teixeira pointed to the Data Protection Act and noted that a Data Protection Commissioner, Aneal Giddings, has been appointed and that the office has already been established.
John then inquired about the location of the agency, but Teixeira said that she did not know. Attorney General Anil Nandlall SC then shared that the office is located in a building in Campbellville, Georgetown.
Andre Gonsalves, representing the Rights of the Child Commission, urged authorities to ensure that children’s rights to access information and to freedom of expression are carefully considered during the drafting of any new legislation, noting the importance of balancing child protection measures with the preservation of their rights.
The government is proposing a National Child Online Safety and Ethical Technology Framework for Guyana that would introduce a minimum social media age of 16, with access for children aged 13 to 15 requiring parental consent. The framework would also require age verification by social media platforms, mandate child-safe design features, introduce digital literacy education in schools, provide resources and awareness programmes for parents, and establish a Child Online Protection Authority to oversee online child safety and related enforcement measures.
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