How can we improve global literacy levels?
Today is UNESCO International Literacy Day, a day which aims to draw attention to the issue of global literacy levels.
Literacy levels remain a highly pertinent issue in developed countries, and a crucial factor in the economic growth of developing countries.
The UK’s literacy problem is closely related to income inequality: at 40%, the number of poorer children not being proficient readers is double that of better-off children. According to a report published by the charity Save the Children, around 1.5 million UK children will fail to reach a proficient standard of literacy between 2013 and 2025.
Dame Julia Clevendon, chair of the charity's "Read on. Get on" campaign, commented that: “By the age of three we can already see the clearest correlation between family income and vital language development that leads to reading. This is not just a task for schools – vital as they are.”
Developing countries such as India have made great strides to improve literacy levels, but this progress needs to continue in order to increase their competitiveness and reach international norms. The Indian literacy rate grew from 18% in 1951 to 74% in 2011, but is still below the global average of 84%.
In a recent speech, President Pranab Mukherjee called upon society at large to bring illiterate people into the mainstream of literacy in partnership with a national campaign.
IZA World of Labor authors have evaluated several policies aimed at improving human capital. Paul J. Devereux has commented that government investment in education can potentially make people better parents and thus improve the educational and employment outcomes of their children.
On a related topic, Tuomas Pekkarinen looks at the effect of school tracking on young people, and argues that postponement can increase social mobility without adverse effects on educational achievement. Núria Rodriguez-Planas looks at the role that mentoring can have in improving the life opportunities of at-risk children, concluding that programs can be greatly varied and produce mixed results.
Overall, there is an international consensus that improving literacy levels is a crucial aspect of human development, and that its implementation requires an effective partnership between parents, teachers, government, and society at large.
Read more here.
Related articles:
Intergenerational return to human capital, by Paul J. Devereux
School tracking and intergenerational social mobility, by Tuomas Pekkarinen
Do youth mentoring programs change the perspectives and improve the life opportunities of at-risk youth? by Núria Rodriguez-Planas