by Julia Schecter, AWC London
There are now “more adults without literacy than there were 50 years ago, meaning that our efforts have not kept pace with population growth.”1 In response, UNESCO has staked out an ambitious goal of eradicating adult illiteracy by 2030. The campaign, announced in its recent UNESCO Strategy for Youth and Adult Literacy 2020-2025,2 is to focus on countries with an adult literacy rate below 50 percent (17 are from Africa) and the Education-9 countries, where the largest number of non-literate adults live. E-9 countries (Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria and Pakistan) represent over half of the world’s population and some of the largest education systems in the world.
So why does illiteracy persist, even within our wealthiest nations? The problems that underlie education access are deep and ingrained in cultural beliefs and traditions. The experience of teachers of non-native English speakers gives some insight into the challenges. In Among the Maasai centered in Tanzania, Juliet Cutler discusses some of the complexities of teaching English to young girls who had left their families and tribal communities to reside at a boarding school and prepare for the nation’s secondary school entrance exam. Her story underscores the scorching reality of an educational system designed for a privileged few. In Tanzania, the majority will not pass a secondary school entrance exam and will not have the opportunity to attend school past primary levels. As a teacher of English, Juliet had to contend with families that didn’t want their daughters to be educated, girls subject to female genital cutting against their wishes and persistent poverty. On the other hand, she had the benefit of teaching students with similar educational backgrounds, culture and experiences, as well as a common desire to learn and achieve.
Cutler’s experience is in many ways similar to that of Cat Howell, an English as a second language teacher in my hometown of Seattle, Washington. I had the opportunity to interview Ms. Howell, whose experience was equally demanding but mostly different than Cutler’s. Her students were a more diverse group representing a plethora of countries, speaking many different native languages and possessing varying education levels from their places of origin. What Cat’s students have in common with the Maasai girls is a shared determination to learn despite significant personal and societal socio-economic problems.
Both instructors remarked about the joy of teaching students who were so overwhelmingly appreciative of the opportunity to learn. Each gave examples of their students’ resiliency and ability to adapt. Throughout her book, Cutler brings attention to the challenges of educating girls in sub-Saharan Africa and has called out the need to support organizations such as Operation Bootstrap Africa, which provides funding to build and operate the Maasai Secondary School for Girls.
Howell also discussed the need for more resources. Specifically, “getting technology in the hands of our learners, because many do not have computers or wifi at home to access classes. Another big challenge is that many of our students have little formal education, so are learning to speak English and at the same time how to read and write. It’s hard work for them, and for teachers to support all that learning at once.”
So what does UNESCO propose doing to break down barriers to language acquisition and to achieve its 2030 goal? Building on previous initiatives, it has chosen four major areas on which to focus: 1) Encourage member states to develop national literacy policies and strategies; 2) address the learning needs of disadvantaged groups, particularly women and girls; 3) leverage digital technologies to expand access and improve learning outcomes; and 4) monitor progress and assess literacy skills and programs. But according to David Atchoarena, Director of the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning, these objectives will not be attainable unless accompanied by funding. For example, in 2019 he cites a 14 billion USD shortage needed to close the literacy gap by 2030.3
While governments have faltered in their support, we as individuals can still make a difference. Supporting non-governmental initiatives by contributing to community-based organizations is one way to help. In my last article about literacy (Update on Literacy, May 2020), I mentioned two organizations, Literacy Source in the United States and The National Literacy Trust in the United Kingdom. Both are working to address the problem. Click on the links above to find out how you can help the work to combat adult illiteracy!
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