Ministry Launches Read to Lead Initiative

The Ministry of Education (MOE), alongside media partners yesterday launched project, Read to Lead, for children in Years 1 and 2.

The programme spearheaded by a non-government organisation, Vision Fiji, aims at broadcasting reading books and developing knowledge for children out of the prescribed text books.

The reading will be televised on Fiji Television’s Get Set Programme every Thursday between 4pm and 4:30pm.

Also partnering in the initiative is the community broadcaster, FemLINK Pacific.

While launching the Engaging Media to Raise Literacy initiative, Minister for Education, Heritage and Arts, Mahendra Reddy said it was critical to constantly explore new pedagogies of teaching. The programme was launched at Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Primary School in Suva yesterday where the programme was first recorded by Fiji TV as Mr Reddy read about “Asia” to the students.

Mr Reddy said one could not be stuck with the same teaching practices of the past especially since many children had become apt at using technologies and are well versed with the internet and media.

“(The) first to support this initiative was Fiji TV, Get Set.

“What’s commendable is that Get Set is more than willing to share their weekly recordings with other media and MOE as well.”

The initiative is to help children listen, read, write and understand English. “There cannot be any substitute to open reading meaning outside the prescribed text books – reading will help in the holistic development of our children,” Mr Reddy said. “These materials are provided in story books, newspapers and magazines and we need to encourage children to undertake open reading,” he added.

Mr Reddy, in addition said, Read to Lead Fiji was an excellent programme for schools and perfectly complemented the Ministry’s literacy guide launched in January 2017 for Year 1 and 2. There are 250 books under this programme; they are well researched, considered fun, exciting, and designed to teach English not only to Fijians, but foreign students as well.

Resources of Read to Lead Fiji are being made available online and schools can access these books aside from the hard copy.

This allows parents to download and access these materials wherever they are.