[Technology 1200] Message for International Literacy Daytsticht at znet.com tsticht at znet.comFri Aug 10 14:15:32 EDT 2007
A Message for International Literacy Day 2007 UNESCO Recognition for Industrialized Nations: >From Fighting Pockets of Illiteracy to Raising Levels of Literacy Tom Sticht International Consultant in Adult Education During 2007 I am presenting a series of workshops entitled Adult Literacy Education in Industrialized Nations. Earlier, I worked for 25 years (1979-2003) as a volunteer member of UNESCO's International Literacy Prize Jury. This Jury recommends to the Director General of UNESCO the winners of UNESCO's literacy awards each year on September 8, International Literacy Day. For most of the time that UNESCO has awarded literacy recognition the discourse was about "illiteracy" and most attention was, and still is, focussed on developing nations with large percentages of illiterate adults (age 15 and above). There were times, however, when recognition was given to industrialized nations where it was generally said that illiteracy was not a major problem but there were "pockets of illiteracy." This usually referred to socially marginalized groups of indigenous persons, immigrants, poverty stricken, incarcerated, and the like. Over time, the discourse of literacy has varied and has included "illiteracy," "functionally illiterate," "functionally literate," "literacy levels," and "multiple literacies." This listing moves from thinking about "illiteracy" as being almost totally unable to read and write, to thinking about literacy as a continuum from illiteracy through gradients of literacy from low to higher levels and to the idea of "multiple literacies" meaning the ability to use a variety of symbolic communication media (e.g, the internet) and graphic technologies such as maps, graphs, and the like. UNESCO may provide three types of recognition on International Literacy Day: Major Prizes with monetary awards, Honorable Mentions, and Recognition in the Palmares, the official document that proclaims the winners of each year's recognition. Of the six industrialized nations that are discussed in my workshop, five have received multiple recognition primarily before the shift in discourse in talking about "illiteracy" to "levels of literacy" or "multiple literacies." This UNESCO recognition has helped each of these five nations keep the need for literacy education in their nation in the awareness of policymakers and has provided a foundation for major activities that are underway to advance levels of literacy in these nations today. On September 8th of this year we should continue to press for international attention to the plight of hundreds of millions of illiterate adults around the world. But we should also recognize the need in all nations, both developing and developed, to raise the levels of literacy of thousands of millions of adults and promote the multiple literacies of adults who are at risk of losing such advances as they have made in their lives and the lives of their families in the face of a rapidly changing world. As a member of UNESCO's International Literacy Jury I was honored to participate in recognizing the work of nations that are part of my workshop on Adult Literacy in Industrialized Nations. Today I am pleased to once again recognize the outstanding adult literacy work that these nations have performed in the past, and to call attention to the continuing efforts of these and other industrialized nations which are today locked in a struggle to enhance the lives of millions of adults and their families through policies and practices aimed at improving literacy. Celebrate Adult Literacy Education on September 8th! UNESCO recognition of my workshop industrialized nations: 1. Australia 1969 HM Summer Institute of Education 1984 R Mr. Archibald Alexander Nelson 1989 R Workplace Education Project 1991 R News on Wheels 2. Canada 1977 HM Frontier College, Basic Education of the Canadian Frontier 1985 HM Canadian Organization for Development Through Education (CODE) 1988 HM Southam Incorporated 1995 Major Prize Community Academic Services Program (CASP), New Brunswick 2002 HM National Adult Literacy Database 3. New Zealand 1988 HM Mr. Michael Marquet 1995 HM Waitakera WEA Adult Literacy 1997 R National Association of ESOL Home Tutor Scheme 2000 HM Literacy Aotearoa, Inc. 2001 Major Prize Workbase, the National Center for Workplace Literacy & Language 4. United Kingdom 1981 HM "On the Move" Project of the British Broadcasting Corp. 1984 HM Adult Literacy and Basic Skills Unit (ALBSU) 1999 Major Prize Family Literacy Programme, Basic Skills Agency 5. United States 1968 HM International Reading Association 1971 HM National Affiliation for Literacy Advance 1972 HM Appalachian Adult Education Center 1978 HM Dr.Welthy Honziger Fisher 1980 R Mrs. Ruth Johnson Colvin 1981 R Laubach Literacy International 1992 R Beginning With Books Literacy Program 2007 Major Prize Reach out and Read Legend: HM-Honorable Mention; R-Recognition in the Palmares Thomas G. Sticht International Consultant in Adult Education 2062 Valley View Blvd. El Cajon, CA 92019-2059 Tel/fax: (619) 444-9133 Email: tsticht at aznet.net
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