Have you ever gone to a country where you didn’t speak a word of the language? The road signs are confusing, the menus are meaningless and deciding which toilet cubicle to use can be a bit tricky.
For over 780 million people (one in five of the world’s population), their native language might as well be a foreign one. They might be able decipher a few words, but they can’t read or write well enough to carry out basic tasks. They face huge barriers in employment, learning and participation in their societies. Two-thirds of these illiterate people are women, and an estimated 75 million children don’t go to school.
UNESCO introduced International Literacy Day in 1965 to focus attention on the need to achieve global literacy. Although New Zealand has fewer problems than some countries, many people struggle in our knowledge-based society. A 1996 survey found that 70% of Māori and nearly 45% of non-Māori adults did not have the minimum level of literacy required to meet the demands of everyday life and work.
There are a lot of resources and information on the library website to help people of all ages improve their literacy. Continue reading
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