Literacy - A major global challenge

Literacy is about more than reading and writing - it is about how we communicate in society. It is about social practices and relationships, about knowledge, language and culture.

Literacy - the use of written communication - finds its place in our lives alongside other ways of communicating. Indeed, literacy itself takes many forms: on paper, on the computer screen, on TV, on posters and signs. Those who use literacy take it for granted, but those who cannot use it are excluded from much communication in today’s world.

If current trends continue, and if we fail to introduce major changes, "Literacy as Freedom" will continue to be an unreachable dream for millions of people. Renewed, co-ordinated and sustained efforts must be taken in the next few years to reverse these trends and ensure that we are on the right track towards Literacy for All and thus, Education for All.

This is the reason why the General Assembly of the United Nations proclaimed the United Nations Literacy Decade for the period 2003-2012. The goal is to make a difference in this world so that everyone has access to literacy in ways that are relevant and meaningful.

The United Nations Literacy Decade (2003-2012) aims to extend the use of literacy to those who do not currently have access to it. Over 861 million adults are in that position, and over 113 million children are not in school and therefore not gaining access to literacy either.

The Decade focuses on the needs of adults with the goal that people everywhere should be able to use literacy to communicate within their own community, in the wider society and beyond.

Literacy efforts have so far failed to reach the poorest and most marginalised groups of people – the Decade particularly address these people, under the banner of Literacy for all: voice for all, learning for all.

There are three reasons which justify the Decade:

1. One in five people over the age of 15 cannot communicate through literacy or take any part in the surrounding literate environment. Over 861 million people have no access to literacy education. Two thirds of these people are women, with illiteracy thus adding to the deprivation and subordination to which women are already subject. In an interconnected world where literacy is a key to communication such exclusion is unacceptable.

2. Literacy is a human right. Basic education, within which literacy is the key learning tool, was recognised as a human right over 50 years ago, in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

3. Literacy efforts up to now have proved inadequate. The Decade is an opportunity to make a sustained collective effort that will go beyond one-shot programs or campaigns.

How will it make a difference?
The International Plan of Action for the Literacy Decade proposes six lines of action to implement literacy for all:

1. Policy change: policies must provide a framework for local participation in literacy, including multilingual approaches and freedom of expression. National policy environments must link literacy promotion with strategies of poverty reduction and with programmes in agriculture, health, HIV/AIDS prevention, conflict resolution and other social concerns.

2. Flexible programs: diverse and meaningful literacy education requires flexible modes of acquisition and delivery, using appropriate materials and languages, focusing on relevant purposes, and generating interesting, culturally relevant and gender-sensitive materials at the local level. Well-trained non-formal facilitators will respect learners’ needs. Programs should enable learners to move on to more formal learning opportunities.
 
3. Capacity building: as well as increasing and improving the training of literacy facilitators, capacity building will focus on areas that need strengthening in particular countries. These may include the planning and management of programs, research and documentation, material production and curriculum design.

4. Research: new policies for literacy will be most effective when they are based on the results of empirical research. This will answer questions such as: What is the long-term impact of literacy? How can local communities better participate? What is the extent of civil society engagement in literacy? Studies, databases and papers will make the outcomes of this research widely available.

5. Community participation: strong community ownership of the purposes and processes of literacy will result in its effective use. This requires good communication between government and communities, inter-community networks, community learning centres and other ways of ensuring that literacy education is relevant and useful to people in their daily lives and serves their aspirations.

6. Monitoring and evaluation: better literacy indicators are necessary to show what progress is made during the Decade, both in terms of literacy rates and numbers, and in terms of the impact of literacy.

At the international level, the UN General Assembly asked UNESCO to take on the coordinating role, bringing partners together for joint action and policy debate. UNESCO is working with its institutes and its partners to find improved ways of measuring literacy, in local contexts and worldwide.

Literacy is a major worldwide focus of Rotary International. Our International President, Bill Boyd, has asked every Rotary club to undertake at least one literacy project this year.

Rotary eClub One is sponsoring a parent-child reading program in Galt, California for families where English is the second language. Additionally, Rotary eClub One is shipping 12,500 books to needy communities in the Pacific islands.