On the 8th of September, millions around the world will be celebrating Global Literacy Day. Literacy can be defined as the ability to read or write, or competency/knowledge in a specified subject (e.g. digital literacy). Illiteracy can be considered a global issue for many reasons, most notably the fact that 1 in 5 people cannot read or write. Additionally, illiteracy costs the global economy $1.5 trillion annually; with better and more accessible education, increased rates of literacy can help to break the cycle of poverty.
Stereotypically, illiteracy is associated with less developed countries. This is due to a lack of education in some deprived areas, or traditionally, a lack of education for girls. However, this is a common misconception; in developed countries, around 22% of the population is functionally illiterate. Additionally, 2 billion people struggle to read a sentence while 750 million adults are completely illiterate, with two thirds of them being women.
In regards to global literacy in education, 617 million children lack minimum proficiency in reading and mathematics, whilst 115 million of them lack basic digital literacy skills. A potential reason for this could be that 1 in 5 children aged 6 to 17 are not attending school. In some instances, this could be due to a substandard education; for example, in Sub-Saharan Africa, only 64% of primary school teachers have the minimum required training to teach children how to read and write. With an improved education system for both teachers and students, literacy rates can be improved on a global scale.
In an effort to improve global literacy standards, UNESCO have included Target 4.6 as part of their Sustainable Development Goals, which is the aim to “ensure all youth and a substantial proportion of adults, both men and women, achieve both literacy and numeracy” by 2030. Meanwhile, global initiatives such as the World Literacy Foundation have been working in several countries to promote a better standard of literacy through distributing books and creating reading and writing resources for children. For example, since their establishment in 2003, they have distributed over 91,037 books globally. The WLF has also established an initiative called Sun Books in Africa, which aims to improve access to “quality educational resources for children in off the grid locations''. Their app, which is run through the use of solar power, has over 800 eBooks and digital literacy games for children and teachers to work through.
Similarly, in Colombia, the WLF has established a programme named Aprende Leyendo to create an equal education system for both urban and rural areas. The initiative aims to help the unjust amount of children who have been affected by war and gang culture. Their Dingo app contains learning resources in both English and Spanish to promote bilingualism. Likewise, the WLF has been working with charities, local groups. and communities in the United Kingdom to help children who are living in low-income households, as a shocking 380,000 children do not own a single book.
Published September 8, 2021
Written by Rebecca Symns-Rowley ~ Edited by Alex Truong ~ Graphics created by Elwin Fu
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