A recently published report from UNESCO, UNICEF and the World Bank clearly shows that the pandemic has negatively affected children's reading ability in countries such as Brazil, Mexico and South Africa. When schools are closed due to the spread of the covid-virus, children in poorer areas are hit harder than others, the countryside is hit harder than the cities and girls more than boys.
The risk for people in poverty is also that their children never get the chance to go to school but are forced to work instead. This not only affects the children and their families, the report also shows that society is losing resources as these children as adults are estimated to be only 56% as productive compared to children who have received basic education.
The organizations have also developed a policy package to encourage literacy among young people. The package contains 5 parts:
1. Ensure political and technical commitment.
2. Effective teaching with competent teachers.
3. Give the children age-appropriate books and texts of high quality.
4. Teach children in the language they understand best.
5. Promote children's language skills and love of books and reading.
(read more at https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/infographic/2021/09/17/infographic-a-policy-package-to-promote-literacy-for-all-children)
This is of course great, but Dispurse want to add point 6! Make sure that the adults in the children's vicinity have the knowledge to provide support and encouragement in the children's learning. Being able to support their children in their schooling is one of the biggest driving forces for our adult students and the most common answer to the question of why they want to learn to read, write and count, and this is what we work with.
Feel free to read more about our work on our website and support us in the development towards a better world by making a contribution to our continued work.
Thanks!
Great photo of Aaron Burden, thanks!
The event organized by Es Hoy, DVV International and Dispurse Foundation highlighted the joint efforts of companies, municipalities, educational institutions and civil society to close the educational gaps in youth and adults. In a context where 1 in 3 people in Peru have not completed their basic education, this event highlighted the importance of education as a tool for transformation.
In commemoration of International Literacy Day, Dispurse Foundation joined the awareness parade held in the city of Cajamarca. This event brought together students, teachers, organizations and local authorities to highlight the importance of literacy in personal and community development.
María Quispe Ito is a 51-year-old artisan who knits hats, gloves and booties with sheep's wool and sells them in the Plaza de Armas of her district Coata, in the Puno region. As a child she was forced to work, so she was taken away from school by her parents when she was very young.