MP Bob Seely has written to local Councillors to highlight the importance of raising literacy standards in Island primary schools.
He said: “The reading system that has been introduced in the past decade by the Conservatives, known as the phonics system, has been a massive national success story. Thanks to this system the reading abilities of England’s children have gone up from 11th in the world in 2011 to 4th in 2021.
“We need to make sure that Island kids and their teachers share in this national success.”
Mr Seely said he felt there had been a lack of interest in the issue from the Alliance Council.
Following a series of meetings, discussions and correspondence with ministers and officials at the Department for Education (DfE), Mr Seely secured a commitment from the DfE to host a reading conference in Carisbrooke in June last year with the Island’s centre of excellence, Springhill School.
After the conference more schools came forward to engage.
In the past two weeks, Mr Seely has written to the remaining primary schools to urge them to make contact with the centre of excellence.
Mr Seely thanked teachers for their efforts: “The work they do is vital for the future of the Island. Teachers carrying out the phonics reading method are helping Island children not just to read, but to be able to engage with knowledge. I am so grateful for the life-changing work they do.”
He added: “The Alliance group running the Council need to grip education standards. At the time of my correspondence with the Department for Education in October 2023, Councillor Bacon was the third Alliance councillor to head up education in as many months.
“I accept now that the matter is being given a focus which has been lacking. But it has taken too long. We need to focus on delivering the best education chances for Island children."
Mr Seely has met with the new director of education and will be continuing to engage with him.
