Written words are the gateway to knowledge, empowerment and opportunity; the way to a brighter future.
Despite all the many known benefits of literacy, in the developing world more than half of all children (ages 6 -14) are not achieving minimum proficiency levels in reading – and globally an estimated 750 million adults are illiterate.
The global literacy crisis is holding up progress in all areas of development, from health and education to gender equality and economic growth. In fact, literacy is essential to success in achieving every one of the United Nation’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
Learning to read and write starts with letters and sounds, but literacy is much more than that. It’s about understanding, thinking critically, and making meaning of the world. Literacy gives children the power to solve problems, engage in their communities, earn a living, and continue learning throughout their lives.
Illiteracy rates are staggering
In sub-Saharan Africa, alone, 88% of children (ages 6 -14) – or 202 million – are not meeting minimum proficiency levels in literacy
(Source: More than Half of Children not Learning, UNESCO Institute of Statistics)
274 million primary school children worldwide are not learning basic foundational skills necessary to lead productive and healthy lives
(Source: Calculated based on data in The Learning Generation, Education Commission)
Teachers are not available or qualified
An additional 44 million school teachers are required by 2030 in order to make the UN Sustainable Development Goals a reality.
In sub-Saharan Africa alone, an additional 15 million teachers are needed by 2030, to achieve the UN’s goal of a quality education for all.
Reaching all children requires commitment & vision
Low- and lower-middle-income countries face an estimated US$97 billion annual financing gap to meet their national SDG 4 targets by 2030.
African countries represent 56 per cent of low-income and lower-middle-income countries but account for 79 per cent of the financing gap.
At CODE we see literacy as a foundational building block to achieving every child’s right to a quality education.
Education must be about much more than just going to school. It’s about the quality of the experience and the learning that takes place. And there is no better indicator of learning and a quality education than whether a student can read and write.
Children who can read and write are given a better chance to contribute to the welfare and the health of their families, build civil society and give back to their communities. By learning to read and write, children can succeed not only in school but throughout their lives.
The benefits of literacy are many:
A child whose mother can read is 50% more likely to live past the age of five
A women who can read is twice as likely to send her children to school
An estimated 420 million people would be lifted out of poverty with a secondary education, for which mastering literacy skills at an early age is absolutely key
(Source: Source: UIS/GEM Report Policy Paper 32/Fact Sheet 44)