KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Minister of Education and Youth, Fayval Williams is slated to unveil a mural at 20-23 Church Street in downtown Kingston on Fathers’ Day, June 19 as part of a campaign to encourage fathers to read to their children.

Dubbed ‘Fathers Read Too’, the campaign is aimed at highlighting the role of fathers in the educational development of children.

Williams noted that improved grades, better test scores, increased attendance, and greater student involvement in school activities were among the positive outcomes identified by educators when fathers are more involved in their children’s education.

The unveiling of the mural is part of a wider collaborative effort among the ministry, UNICEF and the Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal Corporation. The ministry will also be sharing videos of fathers talking about the importance of reading.

“The campaign is also aimed at making fathers aware of reading resources online while sharing tips on how to make reading interesting for children, and to encourage their cognitive development,” Williams said.

“In addition, the Jamaica Library Service’s and UNICEF’s websites have a wealth of reading resources and it is my hope that fathers across Jamaica will consult these sources by taking up the challenge to read to their children for at least 30 minutes every day,” Williams emphasised.

To access reading material online, parents and teachers may visit the Jamaica Library Service website jls.gov.jm/bookstart-ja and UNICEF at unicef.org/jamaica.