THE EDITOR, Sir:

For the past several years, I have read with interest and increasing concern each year as Dr. Ralph Thompson has published the sad findings on the state of education or the state of illiteracy in our beautiful country.

How could the Ministry of Education not have listened to or at least acknowledged the reality of Dr. Thompson's reports as to the very sad state and future to which the vast majority of our young people are irrevocably subjected?

In The Sunday Gleaner of December 16, he asks the question, "What will the new administration do about education?" This is surely the most important and critical problem faced by our country today.

Notwithstanding the horrendous level of crime, it is my opinion that unless the education of our young people is given priority and urgent attention, the entire nation will have no chance of bridging the schism which is growing wider every day between the 25 per cent of our children who are getting an education and the 75 per cent of our young people who are leaving school and are almost illiterate.

I read in today's Gleaner (December 17) that Prime Minister Golding is to have discussions with various international agencies about obtaining funds which would be directed to benefiting education. Hopefully, he will be successful, for huge sums will be required to bring hope to future generations, and it will have to start with early-childhood education.

I remember how excited my good friend, Wesley Wainwright (who is no longer with us), was when he was named chairman of JAMAL - now Jamaica Foundation for Lifelong Learning - in 1979 and how he looked forward with such passion to the day when all Jamaicans would be literate. We have fallen so far since then, as thousands of young Jamaicans could now benefit from training at that institution.

My hope is to see us take the first step of the long road in the 2008-2009 school year.

I am, etc.,

WILLIAM G. WHITING

19 Seymour Avenue

Kingston 6