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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Laura Ingalls (laura.ingalls@worldlearning.org) in Washington, 1.202.646.6973
World Learning Commemorates International Literacy Day
BRATTLEBORO (September 8, 2009) -- On September 8, World Learning issued the following statement in commemoration of International Literacy Day:
World Literacy Day 2009 presents a moment to both celebrate achievements to date and to press on for those who have yet to be reached. A basic human right, literacy is at the heart of education for all and essential for eradicating poverty, reducing child mortality, curbing population growth, and achieving gender equality. Despite the major milestones accomplished towards literacy, the goal of literacy for all, including children, youth and adults, remains an unaccomplished goal.
Across the world, one in five adults, or over 774 million adults, are illiterate and two-thirds of them are women. 75 million children are out of school, missing out on the opportunity to learn to read and write, many of them as a result of disasters caused by conflict or natural hazards (according to UNESCO).
World Learning's approach to promoting global literacy focuses on increasing access to quality and equitable education, particularly for marginalized minorities. Achieving literacy for all requires collaboration with a host of partners and working across different levels of the educational system. World Learning’s projects are designed to build national education systems’ capacities through teacher training and curricula development, while engaging communities and parents in education management and support. Through projects in Angola, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Peru, and Guatemala, World Learning has helped increase access to schools, improved primary school retention and completion rates, and strengthened community involvement in the education of children.
In Ethiopia, where an estimated four million children have lost their parents to HIV/AIDS, children are most likely to drop out of school early. Between the years 2000 and 2006, 32% of all children enrolled in school in Ethiopia had dropped out before grade five. Only 8.5% of girls and 12% of boys attended high school. In response to these dire educational gaps, World Learning has been helping parents and community stakeholders in Ethiopia forge better, more effective partnerships with the schools their children attend. These efforts have assisted children in more than 2,500 elementary schools serving 1.8 million children within the eleven regions of Ethiopia.
For an example of World Learning's educational projects and approach, watch a video from our USAID-funded CASCAID project in Ethiopia about a girl orphaned by HIV/AIDS who's been given a chance to stay in school.
If you can read this, be thankful and join us in our efforts to help those who can't.
Learn more about World Learning:
The Experiment in International Living
SIT Study Abroad
SIT Graduate Institute
International Development Programs
World Learning works globally to enhance the capacity and commitment of individuals, institutions, and communities to create a more peaceful and just world through education, training and exchange programs.
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