JLS targets 6,000 entrants in National Reading Competition

The Jamaica Library Service (JLS) is aiming to increase participation in the National Reading Competition to 6,000 entrants this year.

Entries for the competition, which is open to Jamaicans ages six to 99, are now being accepted at all JLS libraries across the island and will close on May 9.

“We want persons right across Jamaica to get on board, get interested, because this competition is not only showcasing the importance of reading, critical thinking, comprehension, but it gives an opportunity for national development [and] exposure,” said Rhoda Moy Crawford, state minister in the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information.

She was addressing the launch of the competition on Tuesday at the Joyce Robinson Hall, Kingston and St Andrew Parish Library.

Crawford noted that, over its lifetime, the competition has impacted more than 100,000 Jamaicans.

She said the continued growth in participation – from 3,133 entrants in 2024 to 5,623 in 2025, a 78 per cent increase – “reflects a renewed national enthusiasm for reading, strengthened by meaningful collaboration among schools, libraries, families, and communities. Above all, it affirms a simple reality – when we invest in reading, we invest in national development”.

She added that reading drives literacy, which underpins educational achievement, workforce readiness, innovation and national development.

“As a ministry, we remain resolute that literacy is the foundation of national progress. It is not optional. While we have made meaningful strides, the reality remains that only approximately 60 to 70 per cent of our citizens are reading at the required proficiency level. This serves as a fuel for our call to action for urgency, focus and a shared national response. This is so as literacy is not simply the ability to read. It is the capacity to understand, interpret and apply knowledge in ways that transforms lives,” she pointed out.

For her part, Director General of the JLS, Maureen Thompson, said that, in an era when technology often reduces the time people spend reading physical books, the role of libraries remains vital.

“Our libraries are more than just buildings. They are safe spaces in our communities. They are also very important learning hubs; they are places our students gather to do their assignments and research; they are also spaces where readers discover new worlds and where communities are engaged through collaborations and partnerships,” she said.

Thompson noted that this year’s competition theme, ‘Together We Read, Together We Rise’, focuses on resilience in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa.

She encouraged Jamaicans to participate in the competition.

“It expands your imagination. It takes you to places and, of course, the critical thinking skills that are utilised in this competition, along with the literacy analysis, the exposure to Caribbean literature [and] the exposure to local authors, is such an enriching experience that we continue to build on over the years,” Thompson said.

Established in 1988, the National Reading Competition has grown into the flagship outreach programme of the JLS, an agency of the Ministry of Education.

The JLS currently operates 85 public libraries islandwide, serving approximately 898 schools.