RIGHT TO LITERACY

► Literacy, the key outcome of education and an instrument for other types of learning, forms part of the right to education and supports access to other rights.

► The right to education is explained in Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states: “everyone has the right to education”.

► The 1975 Persepolis Declaration describes literacy as a ‘basic human right’, a statement reiterated in the Hamburg Declaration of 1997.

► Goal 4 of the Dakar Framework for Action in 2000 states the objective of: “achieving a 50 per cent improvement in levels of adult literacy by 2015, especially for women, and equitable access to basic and continuing education for all adults”.

► The preamble of the Resolution on United Nations Literacy Decade, adopted by the General Assembly in 2002 asserts: “Literacy is crucial to the acquisition, by every child, youth and adult, of essential life skills that enable them to address the challenges they can face in life, and represents an essential step in basic education, which is an indispensable means for effective participation in the societies and economies of the twenty-first century”.

IMPORTANCE OF LITERACY

► Literacy has positive effects on society and individuals.

► The arguments supporting literacy have been widely publicised and are effectively summarised in the EFA Global Monitoring Report 2006 published by the UNESCO.

TOO MANY EXCLUDED FROM LITERACY

► TOO MANY PEOPLE REMAIN EXCLUDED: at least 1 in 5 adults and 2 in 3 women. Not to mention nearly 67 million children who do not attend school, and an even greater number who rarely attend school or abandon their studies. These children will not have the opportunity to learn to read and write. The most affected regions are Southern and Eastern Asia, followed by Sub-Saharan Africa and the Arabic States. In some countries less than 30% of the population is capable of reading and writing.

► But it is equally important to recognize that developed countries also face similar problems. Most of these countries claim a literacy rate of greater than 90%. However the calculation of this figure is based on outdated concepts. Quality literacy requires consideration of the environment supporting literacy : are the skills acquired practical? Is the teaching  language appropriate? etc. Even considering literacy in a very simple way, it is alarming to observe that almost half of American adults (living in the first world power) possess only marginal skills in writing and reading (National Assessment of Adult Literacy).

LITERACY CONCEPT

► ALPHACTION has high expections in terms of quality awareness-raising and advocacy. The project is based on research in the field, and particularly in the New Literacy Studies (Barton, Street…).

► UNESCO provides an excellent definition of literacy that we should remember: “Literacy is the ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate and compute, using printed and written materials associated with varying contexts. Literacy involves a continuum of learning in enabling individuals to achieve their goals, to develop their knowledge and potential, and to participate fully in their community and wider society”.

► Therefore, literacy is not a rigid concept. It has been interpreted and redefined throughout history. It would be wrong to think that it only encompasses reading, writing and calculating skills; nor is it an end in itself. It is important to consider literacy instead as a learning continuum. Literacy and illiteracy should not be opposed concepts, as there are various levels of knowledge along the continuum. Furthermore, literacy is often associated with the improvement of other skills, in particular oral communication, critical thinking, the use of a computer and team work.

► To understand literacy needs, it is important to look at literacy uses in every context. The conception of literacy can highly differ from one country to another, depending on national policies.

► The issue of literacy does not only concern young people and adults. Children also confront the literacy process when commence school (information literacy or entrance in the written world). In several aspects, literacy as it relates to young people and adults is different from literacy for children, particularly in terms of target objectives or methods of teaching. However, these are only foundation principles. Common strategies can be put in place, particularly in relation to language, so that the quality of literacy and post-literacy can be improved. Once acquired are reading and writing skills used effectively in daily life?

More details on what literacy is in Resources.