THE GABRIEL POST

To speak of literacy is to lay the essential foundations of a comprehensive learning process, crucial to the development of an educated society at all levels. This process begins at the earliest age, even in the womb, where the sounds heard by the fetus begin to form the first phonemes.

Literacy is the foundation that connects us to science, knowledge and life in general. Its importance cannot be underestimated, and solid measures must be taken to prevent any failure at this primordial stage of learning, in the interests of learners.

In our work, we aim to distinguish between school failure and dropping out, and to explore the multiple causes of these phenomena, whether in the Haitian context or on a global scale. These obstacles hinder the process of learning to read and write, thus compromising educational success.

School failure translates into a delay in enrolment, often observed in disadvantaged areas and influenced by factors such as socio-political instability, parents’ inability to send their children to school and the lack of concrete state measures. School drop-out, on the other hand, is the abandonment of the learning process, often motivated by a lack of support and a negative perception of education.

Among the many obstacles to the process of learning to read and write, some stem from inadequate educational practices. In some environments, inexperienced and poorly qualified teachers are assigned to the first primary grades, seriously compromising the development of pupils’ fundamental skills.

In Haiti, the language of instruction also creates major disparities, as many pupils are taught in a language they do not fully master, unlike their mother tongue, Creole. This language barrier is a major obstacle to effective learning.

Analysis of the work carried out by France’s National Reading Observatory highlights the importance of developing specific skills in the areas of identifying written words and processing meaning, in order to promote independent reading and text comprehension. This approach also underlines the importance of a gradual transition from preschool to primary school to ensure effective acquisition of reading and writing skills.

In short, literacy is an essential component of educational success, and a solid foundation is essential to ensure effective literacy learning. By identifying and overcoming barriers to learning, particularly in the Haitian context, we can help create a more equitable and inclusive education system.

Webography/Bibliography:

• Literacy: status and functions of the written word | Cairn.info
• School failure – Wikipedia
• Le Nouvelliste – Significant drop in school performance in Haiti in recent years
• Dropping out of school – Factors and causes of dropping out (sitew.fr)
• Dropping out of school: what to do, what solutions for students (journaldesfemmes.fr)
• Dropping out of school – Wikipedia
• Some causes of school failure in Haiti – ET SI ON EN PARLAIT – ET SI ON EN PARLAIT (mondoblog.org)
• Learning to read and write. The evolution of reading manuals (ac-strasbourg.fr)

Author : Stanley GABRIEL
Educator , Entrepreneur
Director of Studies at RAMOTH
Founder: CENTRE D’ENCADREMENT ÉDUCATIF INCLUSIF ET TECHNOLOGIQUE
CEO of :THE GABRIEL POST
Contact: stanley.gabriel@thegabrielpost.com