How can we remove illiteracy?
We take it for granted that we go to school, learn our letters and come out literate, but this is just not the case for everyone.
At the present time, in 2014 over 750 million people throughout the world cannot read and write, with nearly 20% of them being children. And it’s increasing year on year. There is no lack of intellectual ability, people can learn, and want to learn - so what’s stopping them? In a word poverty.
You wont be surprised to know that the countries with the highest levels of illiteracy are also some of the poorest countries in the world.
A literate population depends on a government willing and able to spend money on education. Wars, famine, ignorance and prejudice are responsible for millions of children and adults (and women make up two thirds of them) not having an opportunity to access decent teaching and learning.
If we now look at the question again and personalise it .....‘how can WE remove illiteracy?’ A simple answer looks too... simple! Is anyone doing anything to help?
Of course many government agencies and charities are working all the time to change things for the better. I’ve recently read about one company - a ‘not for profit organisation’- Worldreader - which has a mission to “unlock the potential of millions of people through the use of digital books in places where access to reading materials is very limited.”
Their thoughts are, when children do get an opportunity to go to school, they are often held back in their learning by a lack of appropriate books. Technology, they say, can help change this. Books don’t have to come in paper form nowadays!
E-readers are a cheap and easy way to allow children access to hundreds of books and so they are providing these to children in schools in Africa (soon to expand throughout the world).
This video shows what is happening.
Their aims are lofty - yes - removing illiteracy won’t happen quickly or easily - but it’s a start and that’s good.
You can also find another answer about this topic on Blurtit Here.