Scholastic Inc. donates children’s book
Some Belizean primary schools got a most welcome gift today with the arrival of hundreds of children’s books from U.S. publisher Scholastic Incorporated. News 5 was there when the children at one Belize City school got their hands on the new reading material.
Patrick Jones, Reporting
The eagerness with which these children from the Salvation Army Primary School took to the books assures the donors, Scholastic Inc., a New York based publishing company that it is money well spent.
Sharon Neita, Caribbean Agent, Scholastic Inc
“The value in dollars is seven hundred and fifty thousand U.S.; the value to education is tremendous. We are going to be reaching, many, many children throughout the Caribbean, and in fact throughout the hemisphere as C.C.E.T. is a hemispheric project.”
The Belize component of the Caribbean Centre of Excellence for Teacher Training received ten thousand reading books and other informational material. Six pilot schools, four in Belize City and one each in Ladyville and Burrell Boom are taking part in a reading pilot project utilising the donated books. Chief Education Officer Maud Hyde says every little bit helps.
Maud Hyde, Chief Education Officer
“For quite a while we have been hearing the challenges posed by reading for children. I think looking at the past examination results and all that, we hear every year reading is a problem, reading is a difficulty, so whatever we can do and whatever resources we can use to enhance reading and attract our children back to being able to sit with a book and enjoy that is very important to us.”
Today’s donation is part of phase one of the three-year project.
Jamaica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and Grenada are participating in the C.C.E.T. initiative. Neita says her organisation simply wants to bring children and books together.
Sharon Neita
“Scholastic is a very good corporate citizen. We donate four million books every year worldwide. But we select very, very carefully the people that we make the donations to just to make sure that books get into the hands of the children. So for that reason we were very pleased to work with the Caribbean C.C.E.T. group because they are very organised and we can see that in fact the books are going to be put to good use.”
Patrick Jones, for News 5.
Belize officially launched its participation in the U.S.A.I.D. sponsored project in October 2003. Regional director of the Caribbean Centre of Excellence for Teacher Training is Professor Errol Miller.
