Barbados is once again being forced to reckon with a painful truth that too many of our children cannot read at an acceptable level. This sobering reality was brought into sharp focus on Monday during the launch of the Babb Reading Clinic, where literacy specialist Dr Astra Babb issued a stirring call for parents to take full responsibility for their children’s reading development.
After years of frontline work in literacy education, she has witnessed firsthand the heartbreaking consequences of reading failure: boys entering secondary school barely able to sound out basic words, children falling through the cracks of an overstretched system, and too many adults looking the other way until exam time forces the issue. In her words: “If your child reaches 10 years old and cannot read, it is your fault.”
That statement understandably sparked debate. Minister of Educational Transformation Chad Blackman, was quick to respond, cautioning against placing the blame squarely on parents. He advocated instead for a more collective approach, describing literacy development as the product of a broader social “ecosystem” — one that includes schools, government, the private sector, and civil society alongside families.
Both perspectives contain important truths. Literacy begins in the home — in the lullabies sung, the bedtime stories read, and the everyday conversations that shape a child’s language. Parents are a child’s first teachers, and their engagement is essential. But it is also true that many families are overwhelmed by poverty, work demands, limited education, or simply not knowing how to help.
That is where the system must step in, not with blame, but with support.
If 130 boys (up from just 67 two years ago) are in need of a five-week literacy intervention, something is broken.
So where do we go from here?
First, we must stop treating literacy as the responsibility of any one stakeholder. It is a national priority that requires a unified strategy. Yes, parents must read with their children, attend PTA meetings, and demand better, but schools must also ensure the most qualified teachers are placed in early-year classrooms where foundational skills are formed. The Ministry of Education must expand early screening and intervention programmes, and provide ongoing professional development in evidence-based reading instruction.
Second, we need a cultural shift. Literacy should be seen not just as an academic concern but as a human right. Every child who cannot read fluently by the end of primary school is being denied full participation in society. We must treat this as a matter of urgency, not just in July, when clinics launch, or in May, when exam results are revealed, but year-round.
Finally, the government must make better use of existing community resources. NGOs like Babb’s Reading Clinic, church groups, retired educators, and youth mentors all have roles to play in a coordinated national literacy movement. The private sector, too, can help by funding literacy labs, sponsoring reading programmes, or providing materials.
To move the needle on literacy, we must stop pointing fingers and start joining hands. Every child in Barbados deserves the gift of reading. Not by luck, not by accident, but by design.
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