by Julia Schechter, AWC London
A test of any country’s educational system is its literacy rate. What would you guess the worldwide literacy rate to be? I was impressed to learn, according to UNESCO, that the global youth literacy rate (ages 15-24) over the last two decades has increased from 83% to 91%. Keep in mind that these percentages are based on self-reported data that has many limitations: chiefly, varying interpretations of what literacy means or inflated responses. In any case, since the numbers looked surprisingly high to me, I thought I’d dig a little deeper to understand why the United Nations is working so hard to ensure that all youth and most adults achieve literacy and numeracy by 2030 [Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4.6].
According to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), here are a few facts that illuminate some of the global challenges. By the way, UIS is the official source of internationally comparable data on education and literacy and is used to benchmark progress towards meeting SDGs:
- 2016 data show that 750 million adults (two-thirds of whom are women) still lack basic reading and writing skills.
- More than 617 million children and adolescents are not achieving minimum proficiency levels (MPLs) in reading and mathematics.
- In meeting MPLs, sub-Saharan Africa is worse off, followed by Southern and Central Asia. For example, one out of five (21%) children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary school age lives in sub-Saharan Africa, yet only 33% are able to read proficiently.
While literacy rates are lowest in regions of the world that are typically far from our lives, it is also a problem in our own backyards. In Seattle, Washington, where I’m from, I support Literacy Source, a non-profit organization that teaches adult learners to read, write and do basic math. Despite being home to Amazon, Boeing and Microsoft, in Washington state, Literacy Source estimates that 1 in 6 adults lack the basic skills needed to get a livable wage job. In London, where I hope to be returning post-virus, illiteracy is also rampant. The National Literacy Trust works hard to close the gap by providing services to 16.4% of adults in England, or 7.1 million people that they describe as having “very poor literacy skills.”
In brief, while global literacy rates are up worldwide, the situation is still a massive problem. As progress continues to be made, the level of education necessary to make a living wage in today’s global economy also continues to rise. What can we do to make a difference other than to donate money to organizations like Literacy Source and the National Literacy Trust? Here are some ideas:
- Donate books! The National Literacy Trust receives a percentage of sales from secondhand books donated through their partner Better World Books. BWB has book donation points across the UK and the US.
- Gather some AWC members and host a screening of H is for Harry. This 2018 film about one British boy’s struggle with illiteracy illuminates the complex social issues surrounding disadvantaged youth in the UK. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation, which funded the movie, provides a toolkit for discussion groups.
- Participate in FAWCO’s campaign to raise awareness around the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Through the SDG Photo Project, you can create a social media post to call out the Literacy SDG with a reference to something meaningful to you and your community. For more information contact FAWCO's SDG Chair Tammy Mayer at .
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