Literacy is everything.
The Times newspaper here in the UK had a report yesterday on the petition handed into our Prime Minister at No 10 Downing Street pleading for more government action on helping our children to read before they leave school.
How is it that some British children cannot read before they are sent to High School? Or, worse, they leave school and face the adult world not able to function with the written word which dominates it.
I cannot imagine NOT being able to read the label on a tin of food, or the gas bill, or being embarrassed to fill in a job application or operate a computer, or write a Christmas card. It is something else I simply take for granted.
As for the cultural and educational impact? Horrific.
Well shame on me.
The petition was signed by more than 500 well known authors, including many familiar names from the world of Romance Fiction such as: Joanna Trollope, Katie Fforde, Sophie Kinsella, Rosamunde Pilcher, Adele Parks, Marion Keyes, Fiona Loakes and Michelle Styles.
The full article is here: http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/article3050957.ece
The full article is here: http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/article3050957.ece
and the campaign continues here:
Let's hope that the momentum continues.
No YouTube at the moment. My Sunday morning treat - Radio 4. Desert Island Discs. Paul Weller today.
2 comments:
It's hard to imagine how much people would miss by not being able to enjoy a good book.
It must be the most terrible thing. Not just for enjoyment, but for daily life in our culture.
In our local small supermarket the other week, the young man at the till asked me to find the code for a fresh veg on his printed list because he could not read. A good looking lad at about 17 who was quite articulate. He was trying to sound out the letters, but clearly could not read the names of the foods and expected everything to be barcoded/scanned.
I made an effort to keep it casual, and I think I was more embarrassed that he was, but that is tough. Paperwork is everywhere in any job, no matter how manual. And don't even think about filling in forms! TAX??
He won't always have his mum to help him.
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