Literacy, the ability to read and write, is a foundational attribute that every person has the right to attain. With access to a high standard of education delivered by qualified and passionate teachers, many children have the fortune to develop their literacy skills at an early age.
Today is International Literacy Day, which was first proclaimed by UNESCO in 1966. Its purpose is to remind the international community of the importance of literacy for individuals, communities, and societies, and the need for intensified efforts toward a more literate world.
Many of us take the ability to read and write for granted, and is it often difficult to imagine that partially illiterate societies still exist. The National Literacy Trust states that around 5.1 million adults in the UK are ‘functionally illiterate’. This places emphasis on those who are literate to put their skills to use; drive society forward, and improve the lives of others.
The Power of Literacy
If you’re hunting for an example of the power of literacy, look no further than the works of Charles Dickens. Dickens’ stories are now considered classic pieces of literature, but when they were published, they served as the moral voice of the country. At that time, literacy skills were steadily becoming more commonplace, and Dickens’ novels became the vehicle for moral commentary; driving conversation and highlighting the need for societal progress.
“Literacy is, finally, the road to human progress and the means through which every man, woman, and child can realise his or her full potential.” — Kofi Annan, Former Secretary General of the United Nations
The impact Dickens’ work had was profound, and although driving change may seem like a pipe dream, using your literacy skills to make someone’s life a little bit better or easier to manage is not as difficult as you might think.
Every instruction manual ever written is designed to make a process easier, whether it be putting together a flat-pack table or baking a cake. This may seem like a tedious job for the writer, but their work has a significant impact on many other people.
Everyone knows the saying “knowledge is power”, and the ability to read means you can learn about any subject. With a full and in-depth understanding, you are then equipped to teach others, whether through your own writing or by presenting group lectures. The position to impact the knowledge of others is a power that, when used for good, drives social progress.
The Key to Communication
Strong literacy skills are the basis of effective communications. Without the ability to read, write, and think critically about messages it can be difficult to make progress not just in society, but also in businesses and organisations.
At Eduprise, we use the power of literacy to help schools deliver a first-class education and improve outcomes for young people. We work closely with multi-academy trusts and schools, taking on all of their marketing and communications requirements. This provides schools with the time and resources they need to ensure the next generation has access to the standard of education, delivered by qualified and passionate teachers, they need to become highly literate.
