US provides US$1m to improve literacy in Dominica

Goodwill Primary School performing at the literacy signing agreement

ROSEAU, Dominica, December 3, 2007 - The United States is providing US$1m over the next two years to improve literacy of children in Dominica at the primary school level.

The programme offers training to primary teachers with a view to making them better reading instructors.

They will be trained through the Caribbean Centres of Excellence in Teacher Training (C-CETT), which have been set up in seven other Caribbean countries by the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

Teachers who have already gone through the programme will also get follow-up support.

Five reading specialists will be seconded to the programme from the curriculum staff of the ministry of education where there is a core of persons who have already been trained to provide similar services.

C-CETT was introduced by the George W. Administration of the US in response to the problem of illiteracy in several English-speaking Caribbean countries. 

On June 20, 2007, President Bush announced the expansion of C-CETT following a meeting with CARICOM leaders.

The agreement was signed by US Ambassador to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, Mary Ourisman, and the Minister for Education Vince Henderson.