The Bartica Learning Resources Centre

The Learning Resources Centre in Bartica was opened in October 2007 and quickly became the best used in the whole of Guyana.From the photos you can see that it looks pretty well equipped ...but working there every day we know that to develop the work and keep it going long after we leave in 2010 the Centre needs more money . In England it takes about£4 -£5000 per pupil every year to educate them in school. Here £5000 would run the Centre for 18 months including the cost ofthe salary of the support teacher during that time.

Many children who come to the Centre cannot read despite being in school full time. We guess about half the children find reading very difficult. This is because a lot of the teachers are untrained and don't really know how to teach reading and writing well. They themselves have left school at 15 and gone straight into the classroom.

We have to find money for all kinds of projects in order to develop the materials and the equipment in the Centre to make sure that we help and support both children and teachers to improve reading and writing. We have groups of children in the Centre all year round, including the holidays: we have teachers in to train them to teach literacy more effectively and sometimes they bring their classes with them to teah the Literacy hour.
BUT ....This constant use of the centre means that faclities and machines break down and resources run out

At the moment we are constantly asking the Regional Office to fix the supply of water for the toilets (there is no water at present - the outside rainwater tanks are blocked up!!), some panes of glass are missing and the photocopier has to be repaired to work again. A new computer hard disc is waiting to be replaced for the second of the two computers and there are not enough attractive reading books and games as well as paints and paper and Lego equipment to cope with the demands of around 25 children who attend the Centre everyday. There are also the Holiday Reading Courses, the professional development course for teachers and community courses for people who live in Bartica.
YET WE STILL HAVE PLANS TO HAVE MORE PEOPLE USE THE CENTRE ( E.G. Mother and Toddler groups, children who have disabilities - many of these children don't even go to school, people who want to develop hobbies like reading for pleasure, and improve their sewing).
We know that Greenway Middle School in Royston, Hertfordshire has raised some money for the Centre THIS IS BRILLIANT!!! and we are keen to see some photos of the young people who have raised the money to put up in the Centre.
The writer Philip Pullman is also supporting the Centre and so is Volunttary Service Overseas and the Canadian Education Development Agency. Be assured that the money goes directly to helping the children to read!
A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU!!