Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office wiith responsibility for Pan African Affairs Trevor Prescod has called for a stronger push to place Barbadian-written books in primary schools, arguing that early exposure to culturally relevant stories could significantly improve literacy and deepen children’s connection to language.

Speaking at the launch of the BIM@60 campaign at the Barbados Museum on Wednesday, Prescod said the country needed to support its writers, particularly those producing books for younger readers.

He acknowledged that introducing more Barbadian texts at the secondary and tertiary levels could be challenging because of prescribed examination reading lists, and said the focus should begin much earlier.