WINDHOEK- The Lifelong Learning Division in the Hardap Directorate of Education, Arts and Culture recently trained 18 literacy promoters at the Rehoboth Teachers’ Resource Centre.
Through the family literacy programme, the literacy promoters who were nominated by members of the community and underwent a two-week training programme will be assisting parents to better guide their children who are in Grade 1 with literacy-based activities as from January, next year.
The information taught through the literacy programme equip parents with the skills to assist their children with homework, reading and writing through easy methods and interactive parent-child literacy-based activities.
This programme is born out of the belief that the parent is the child’s first teacher.
The programme also aims to strengthen parental involvement in their children’s education and literacy development. The benefits are two-fold because the parents are learning and transferring knowledge to their children.
The programme empowers parents to take charge of their children’s education and support them with their schoolwork. The aim of the programme was also to provide that opportunity for parents to engage with other parents and learn from each other.
Elvi Kamati, the Chief Education Officer of Adult Education in the Hardap Region coordinated the training. Aletta Eises, the Deputy Director of Lifelong Learning in the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture who officially opened the training urged the promoters to take the training seriously as they were identified as trusted community members who can invest in the development of the community. She stressed that family literacy is one of the best programmes under lifelong learning division, as it forms the foundation for the holistic approach in education.
The promoters were urged to attend classes every day and motivate parents in their communities, with grade 1 children to attend the classes to be empowered.
Eises further emphasised that government through the Ministry of Education is investing a substantial amount of money, which should not go to waste due to non-performance and non-commitment to the course of community development.
“The conduct of the promoters should be beyond reproach that they should be disciplined and conduct themselves in an exemplary manner in the community,” said Eises, informing the promoters to focus on the training which offers different sessions to be conducted by the different experts.