Illiteracy also plagues Europe: UNESCO

Contrary to the commonly held assumption that only minority groups are affected by illiteracy in Europe, a recent UN report said low levels of literacy touch the mainstream population in the region also, as nine million adults in Central and Eastern Europe can neither read nor write.

According to the 2008 Education for All (EFA) Global Monitoring Report released by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), although the literacy rate in Europe is high—more than 96 per cent—serious disparities persist.

The report further revealed that too many adults in Europe still fail to acquire even basic skills, with enormous effects on their individual lives and on their countries’ economic and social well-being.

And there are varying degrees of literacy. It cannot be narrowly defined as a single skill that enables people to deal with all types of text, the report said.

The report further stated that literacy involves being able to locate, evaluate and effectively use information in multiple manners, including graphic, computer and mathematical competence.

Moreover, the unemployment rate in countries such as Germany and Slovenia is twice as high among people with poor literacy skills than among those with average or high skills, according to the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS 2000) conducted in 20 developed states.

Improved literacy is one of the keys to develop knowledge societies and boost economic competitiveness, UNESCO said.

Meanwhile, UNESCO will organise a conference at Baku in Azerbaijan on May 14 to 16 to discuss the literacy and adult education challenges specific to Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe. to be attended by high-level decision makers and experts from 30 countries

The expanded concept of literacy in today’s world will be examined in the Baku Conference, besides assessing the literacy challenges and achievements in the sub-regions, the organisation said.

The conference will also focus on topics like evaluation of literacy levels, pedagogical approaches for promoting quality basic learning and responses to new demands through legislative and institutional arrangements.