#literacy learning spaces

[internationalliteracyday]

Statement from Ms Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director-General on International Literacy Day 2022; September 8th.

[internationalliteracyday]

Challenges and opportunities

Indeed, according to the most recent estimates (2020), there are still 771 million adults aged 15 and above who lack basic literacy skills, two-thirds of them women. In addition, an estimated 260 million children and adolescents of primary and secondary school-age are out-of-school. The COVID-19 crisis has had — and continued to have — a significant negative impact on learners of all ages. It has magnified already existing disparities from such factors as extreme poverty, disability, gender, age, ethnicity, language and geography, and is a barrier to achieving education goals. The crisis has not only intensified persistent challenges, it has also brought about new opportunities which have led to or require continuous change, adaptation and transformation. While education systems around the world are adapting to varying degrees and demonstrating resilience in coping with the crisis, the pandemic is also showing that current learning infrastructures are insufficient, inadequate and highly vulnerable. This is particularly true for youth and adult literacy and non-formal basic education, which although critical to educational transformation, remain seriously under-funded according to recent studies. However, new evidence gathered since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrates the resilience of youth and adult literacy stakeholders and their continued ability to pave the way to educational transformation. A recent UNESCO survey on the COVID-19 impact on youth and adult literacy (2022) found that 80 per cent of respondinggovernments have taken specific measures and/or provided financial support to respond tothe crisis. The analytical review of the applications for the 2022 UNESCO International Literacy Prizes provides additional insights into promising initiatives for the creation, development and transformation of enabling literacy learning environments.