LITERACY

BB Citizenship Stage 2

CONTENT PAGE

Literacy Facts

Literacy Effects

Literacy Actions

How individuals can join the fight against Literacy

Credits

L I T E R A C Y FA C T S

According to the Unesco (United Nationals Educational,

Scientific and Cultural Organisation), it was reported that one in

five adults is not literate today and two-thirds of them are women.

There are a total of 796 million adults who lack minimum

literacy skills and 67.4 million children in the world are out of

school.

In Singapore, compulsory education was implemented in 2003.

All children born after 1st Jan 1996 have to attend a national

primary school in Singapore.

LITERACY EFFECTS

Poor Social Development - Literacy is a tool of

personal empowerment. It is a means for social

development as well.

Low Life Expectancy - UNESCO has found a

correlation between illiteracy and poverty, low life

expectancy, and political oppression.

LITERACY ACTIONS

International Literacy Day - September 8 was

proclaimed International Literacy Day by UNESCO

on November 17, 1965. It was first celebrated in

1966. Its aim is to highlight the importance of

literacy to individuals, communities and societies. On

International Literacy Day each year, UNESCO

reminds the international community of the status of

literacy and adult learning globally.

LITERACY ACTIONS

Room to Read - John Wood, Founder of Room to Read, started

as an overworked Microsoft executive escaping to Nepal for a

backpacking getaway. While hiking in the Himalayas, John met

a Nepalese "Education Resource Officer" who invited him to

visit a school in a neighbouring village where he was

confronted with the inadequacy of schools in rural areas of the

developing world, a factor that contributes to continuing

poverty and inhibits economic development.

LITERACY ACTIONSStones into Schools - Over the past 16 years, Greg

Mortenson, through his non-profit Central Asia Institute

(CAI), has worked to promote peace through education by

establishing more than 130 schools, in remote regions of

Pakistan and Afghanistan.

BB Learning Centre (Cambodia) - In 2003, The Boys'

Brigade began its long-term project to establish the BB

Learning Centre, located in Prayut Village, Puok Commune,

Puok District, Siem Reap Province Cambodia. The Boys'

Brigade has since began the construction of the Learning

Centre, equipped with classrooms, a library, basic

sanitation and accommodation facilities and generator to

supply the Centre with electricity.

H O W I N D I V I D UA L S C A N J O I N T H E F I G H T A G A I N S T L I T E R A C Y

1. Invest in education

Room to Read are on track to reach 10 million

children by the year 2015, and you can help them

get there. In a world with 793 million illiterate

people—2/3 of whom are women and girls—the time

to act is now.

2. Start your own campaign

Run a marathon, have a bake sale, grow a beard or

give up your birthday! Do good while having fun by

starting your own campaign to raise money for a

school, a library or years of girls' education.

HOW INDIVIDUALS CAN JOIN THE F IGHT AGAINST L ITERACY

CREDITS

Done By:

CPL Stevenson Koo

CPL Joe Ong

CPL Thaddeus Soh

CPL Nicholas Goh