Adult literacy not given prominence: Education Dept

Caption Pic:  Adult Literacy trainers at the summit.

By MATTHEW VARI

Sunday, August 23, 2015 (Sunday Chronicle, PNG)

GUEST Speaker and Acting Director General Library and Archives, Kakaito Kasi, has confessed that the Department of Education has not given due prominence to Adult Literacy in the country.

He made the remarks when opening the National Adult Literacy Summit 2015 on Tuesday at the Pacific Adventist University.

Mr Kasi officiated in the absence of Education Minister Nick Kuman who was on official business in the Highland Region.

“The ministry of Education is the leader in Literacy- unfortunately, we have not given more prominence to this particular sector which the director general (National Literacy Awareness Secretariat/ NLAS) and I have been discussing and I have also mentioned to the minister for education that we should be giving more prominence to literacy in this country,” Kasi said.

“It is our dream and hope that literacy should be one of the sectors within the education ministry should between Teaching Service Commission, Department of Education, Office of Library and Archives and the National Literacy Awareness Secretariat.”

“Literacy should take care of all those who are out of school, all those who did not have the chance to go to school maybe due to cultural and tribal barriers, ethnics clashes.”

He said it was the department’s plan to work towards ensuring that the government through the minister give more prominence to the sector.

“We hope and pray that one day the Literacy Act (revised) will be passed by Parliament. It will be the policies that will enable us to drive Literacy services forward will be given more support by the government.”

“I will be working very closely with the director (NLAS) which we will be talking to the minister to support us.”

He said once the literacy act is passed by parliament, then they would move forward which will enable aspects like funding to come from the government and donors channeled through a national literacy organization.

“We need a more coordinated approach and I want to thank all the partners who are doing very well supporting literacy in the country,” Kasi concluded.