Education officials are expressing grave concern about the literacy issued plaguing school-aged children.

Assistant Director of Education with responsibility of Measurement and Evaluation Ineta Francis explained recently that some students are unable to speak an acceptable level of English at the primary level.

“That Literacy component seem to be where we have our greatest struggle and especially as it pertains to those who are born in Antigua and Barbuda and cannot manipulate the language and those who come here with another language who are also having those struggles,” Francis said.

There was a 6 percent decrease in the percentage of students who received acceptable grades during the just concluded Grade Six National Assessment.

“That would be where I would have my greatest concern because the Math is not too far off from where it was in that bumper year. Neither is the Social Studies”, Francis added.