If you are relaxing with your coffee and enjoying today's newspaper, consider yourself lucky. Did you know that four out of 10 adult Canadians age 16 to 65 - representing nine million Canadians - cannot enjoy that luxury. Why? Because they struggle with low literacy skills. Of those adults with low literacy skills, 15 per cent have serious problems dealing with any printed material, and an additional 27 per cent can comprehend only simple reading tasks.
These kinds of statistics are pretty telling. In this day and age, with information and education in many forms at our fingertips, it's hard to comprehend that so many adults and children struggle with reading skills.
It's why this week - Literacy Week from Jan. 21 to 28 - is so important.
Literacy in Action is this year's theme, and during this week, organizations up and down the Coast will be hosting events for children and adults to learn, create, participate and explore literacy and how vitally important being literate is.
We can only imagine the frustration children face in school when they are called upon by the teacher to read from a book or text and they can't read the paragraphs or are too shy to read so as to not let the other students - their friends - see that they struggle with reading.
Or the adult who wants to sit down and read the newspaper, a magazine or the latest best seller, but can't because they were not afforded the education, guidance and skills when they were younger to read at a high level. And now that they are adults, they are embarrassed by the thought of admitting they have trouble reading or can't read at all and won't seek out the help they so desperately need.
According to ABC Canada Literacy Foundation, less than 10 per cent of Canadians who could benefit from literacy upgrading programs actually enroll. Research shows that problems with literacy create barriers such as job or money problems. Let's face it, if you have a problem reading, what are the chances you will be able to find a good paying job, or any job for that matter.
This week is an opportunity to change all of that - to change negative statistics into positive statistics. It's a week for our community to come together to read, learn, teach and celebrate reading and learning.
This is a week to empower. So get out to our libraries and community schools and take part in the events and activities. Coast Reporter is proud to support the initiatives this week in our special feature in today's edition.
It's time for action -Literacy in Action.
