Courts OECS Reading Competition on today

Six students from across the region are expected to compete in the Courts OECS Reading Competition slated to be held at the Arawak House of Culture on Thurday, March 3, from 2:30 pm.

The competitors are: Madanna Auguiste (Dominica), Arianna Mercier (St. Lucia), Eden Otwoi (Grenada), Shekinah Campbell (St. Vincent), Hrishikesh Shrinidasan (St. Kitts and Nevis), and Jazz Dias (Antingua).

In light of the competition, Public Relations Officer, Rachel Samuel, has called on students to make reading a priority, not only at the time of the Reading Competition, but in their daily lives.

“What I would like to see happen in the competition is that our students read, not only when the Courts Schools’ Reading Competition is here, but to continue it throughout the year,” she said. “So, just not make it an effort only while we have the Reading Competition, but for it to be a continued effort in the schools, in the families, and of course, in the communities where we operate.”

Samuel said the competition was introduced in 2009, with the aim of helping the fight against illiteracy in schools, particularly at the primary level. She stated that although the organization is close to accomplishing their goal, it cannot be done without the help of others.

“Well, we are well on our way to accomplishing that goal, but we cannot do it alone. We are working in collaboration with the Ministries of Education in the countries where we operate, of course, with the families and friends of our participants island-wide,” Sanuel explained. “And, this is really a global effort, and for us to say that we have succeeded would not give it justice. We are trying, and hopefully by 2020, as it’s the Millennium Goals, we will be able to achieve that perfection.”

It was said that the competition has been accredited with the improvement of the youth’s reading capabilities, according to Samuel.

“The level of the competition this year has grown significantly from our inception in 2009. We have recognized the fact that our participants are more able to read fluently,” she noted. “They have increased the ability to pronounce words, and even to enunciate. So, we are very happy to say that a lot of persons have attributed the success in the reading capabilities of our youth to the Courts Reading Competition.”