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Friday, Sept. 8, 2006, marks the 36th worldwide celebration of International Literacy Day (ILD). UNESCO chose this year’s theme, “Literacy sustains development,” to emphasize that “literacy is not only a positive outcome of development … but also a lever of change and an instrument for achieving … social progress.”[1]
ILD provides Canadians with an opportunity to reflect on the importance of literacy to individuals and to our country. A decade ago the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) concluded that 42% of the Canadian population aged 16 to 65, or 8 million people, had low literacy skills.[2] The 2005 Adult Literacy and Life Skills (ALL) [3] survey found that this 42% figure had not changed—in fact, the number of Canadian adults with low literacy skills had risen from 8 to 9 million people owing to population growth. Clearly Canada is not making progress in adult literacy, and the issue is even more pressing today than it was 10 years ago, as more and more jobs require literacy skills.
Literacy truly is the thread that holds together the fabric of modern societies, and CCL believes that there is no room for complacency when it comes to Canada’s literacy challenge. Research shows that higher literacy skill levels increase access to opportunities to learn, to find better employment,[4] to earn higher wages,[5] and to participate fully in society.[6] A focus on literacy as a cross-cutting theme—from early literacy to health literacy in older adults—is reflected in the research and knowledge exchange activities of the Council’s five knowledge centres.
To date, CCL has devoted two issues of its e-publication, Lessons in Learning, to literacy: “Raising the Score: Promoting Adult Literacy in Canada”[7] and “How Parents Foster Early Literacy.”[8] In December, CCL will publish an in-depth examination of literacy entitled “The State of Learning in Canada: Through a Literacy Lens.” This study will provide educators and the public with a realistic assessment of the literacy challenges our nation faces.
There are many ways to celebrate International Literacy Day—read to a child, go to a library, enjoy a novel, check out CBC’s Words at Large portal, attend a literacy event, donate to a literacy organization or volunteer to be a literacy tutor.
For information on ways you can help to strengthen literacy in Canada, consult the National Adult Literacy Database (NALD), where you will find information on the activities of literacy organizations across Canada.
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