Promoting Literacy For A World In Transition

Oftentimes we speak about literacy yet, the practicality regarding targeted interventions to support literacy in many educational institutions is hijacked in the politics of education. In the long term both the students and indeed the society suffer the consequences. Literacy ignities creativity and desire. Literacy is that springboard that must propel all students in order for them to navigate their educational journey successfully. Regrettably, without acquiring the tools of literacy one is imprisoned and those around also are serving this sentence. Literacy is a potent tool to eradicate generational poverty. Literacy also serves as a vehicle for social progress and sustainable development. Unfortunately, many societies do not invest as much in literacy skills as they ought to. The Global South oftentimes is burdened by debt repayment to multi-national lending agencies that cut into the budget that should be set aside as an investment in education. The statistic paints a damning picture. Globally, despite the steady rise in literacy rates over the past 50 years, there are still 773 million illiterate adults around the world, most of whom are women. According to the 2015 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), more than 161,000 males and close to 74,000 females who are over the age of 15 lack basic reading and writing skills, making Jamaica's adult literacy rate to be 88.1 per cent. The Report of the Jamaica Education Transformation Commission (JETC) chaired by Professor Orlando Patterson stated that most students at the primary level were barely literate. According to the JETC, the 2019 Primary Exit Profile (PEP) examination revealed that 33 per cent of students cannot read or can barely do so; 56 per cent of students cannot, or can barely, write; and 58 per cent of students cannot, or can barely, find information on a topic. These numbers produced by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Institute for Statistics (UIS) serves as a stark reminder of the work ahead to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially Target 4.6 to ensure that all youth and most adults achieve literacy and numeracy by 2030. International Literacy Day takes place on September 8 annually to raise awareness and concern for literacy problems that exist within our own local communities as well as globally. The theme of International Literacy Day is “Promoting literacy for a world in transition: Building the foundation for sustainable and peaceful societies”. International Literacy Day was founded by proclamation of The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, or UNESCO, in 1966 “to remind the public of the importance of literacy as a matter of dignity and human rights.” AI Literacy. Artificial Intelligence has become a vital part of our daily lives. AI literacy is a multifaceted concept that goes beyond a mere understanding of AI technologies. At its core, AI literacy involves the acquistion of the skills and competencies required to use AI technologies and applications effectively. As Artificial Intelligence (AI), continues to permeate every facet of our existence, a new form of literacy has emerged as a necessity. AI literacy is not about turning everyone into an AI specialist. Alternately, it is about empowering individuals with the knowledge and skills to understand, use, and interact with AI responsibly and effectively. Manifestations of Literacy. The meaning of literacy is the ability to read and write. According to Socratica Foundation literacy has been deemed one of the strongest predictors of individual success, and it allows people to finish schooling and secure jobs all around the world. Literacy also has the power to impact individual's well-being and increase life satisfaction. Over the years the meaning of literacy has taken on various manifestations; literacy is much more complex and changes from one culture to the next. In other words, being literate in one culture does not necessarily mean you are literate in another. Why is this? Because different cultures speak different languages, use different writing systems, and hold different values and practices! In order to capture a more well-rounded definition of literacy, anthropologists have begun to examine what literacy looks like in different cultures around the world. Anthropologists reason that literacy is a way of thinking which is deeply intertwined with both social and cultural practices around the world. In other words, we must study literacy “in context” and remember that literacy depends on the culture we are examining it in. Our understanding of literacy is transformed when evaluated with an anthropological perspective. It becomes clear that literacy is not the same all around the world but rather a skill set that varies from culture to culture. Several low-income countries across Africa have literacy rates of less than 45 percent, as poverty and illiteracy often are correlated issues with the public education system in these areas also not being funded enough to support the national education burden. UNESCO has stated in its Global Education Monitoring report that governments need to take a greater burden for providing education to children and to treat the education pipeline as one system to eradicate illiteracy. Call to Action. The COVID-19 pandemic has repositioned the world. The world is currently in transition. There are concerns that with so many schools having poor ventilation and cooling systems in the classrooms, students could face heat stress that may have calamitous consequences. There is clearly a link between climate change and how we view literacy in the traditional mode of classroom. In a recent interview a well known architect noted that a lot of the schools in Jamaica were built without fully taking into consideration the impact of climate change. Needless to say much more work is needed to tackle illiteracy. International Literacy Day is a day to remind world leaders, influencers and the general public of the current status of adult literacy and learning. One of the first things beginner readers learn is to associate letters with the sounds they represent. This process is known as “decoding” and is the opposite of “encoding,” or spelling. In order for a reader to successfully decode a word, a number of things must happen. He or she needs to recognize the letters of the alphabet, know which sounds they represent, understand how to break words down into their component sounds and then bring all of this information together. It is always going to be challenging for adults to return to school to acquire or sharpen their literacy skills. Many adults are trying to cope with the daily struggles of life. Additionally, in many societies the learning space is rather judgmental and therefore not conducive for teaching and learning. We ought not to disregard the discrimination and stigma those who are illiterate face in the society. Not only is Jamaica’s rate of literacy concerning, the society also has an intolerable crime rate. Many of those who run afoul of the law have low levels of literacy. These individuals mainly young men provide a ready source for recruiters to join various gangs. A society cannot progress and achieve sustainable development with high levels of illiteracy. The time to revisit the nation’s education system is now. It cannot be that so many students are passing through the school system and leaving as functionally illiterate. A distinction must be made at this point. Functional illiteracy is different from illiteracy. Adults who are functionally illiterate have limited reading and writing ability, whereas a person who is illiterate has never been taught how to read or write. More investment in literacy is needed especially at the Early Childhood and Primary levels of the education system. Literacy specialists should be deployed at all levels of the education system. The foundation levels are where the greatest needs are and as such more resources both human capital and financial resources are required. Our boys need to realize that real men read. Sadly, the present culture is one in which boys who display smarts are often ridiculed as effeminate by peers, and even adults, in areas where academic excellence by males is typically devalued. Additionally, the current education system is not very attractive for male educators due to low remuneration and hostile working conditions. More reading clubs should be encouraged in our schools. More collaboration should be sought out between various stakeholders such as parents and guardians to see how best they can assist in fostering a culture of reading and literacy in our educational institutions. A distinction must be made at this point. Functional illiteracy is different from illiteracy. On this International Literacy Day let us strive to work towards creating a safe and judgment-free learning environment where learners can expose their vulnerabilities and where teachers can assist in correcting those challenges. In the words of Kofi Annan, literacy is a bridge from misery to hope. It is a tool for daily life in modern society. It is a bulwark against poverty, and a building block of development. Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues. waykam@yahoo.com @WayneCamo © #InternationalLiteracyDay