Today, September 8 is International Literacy Day. As part of the 25th anniversary of the Literacy Foundation, we are expecting a speech from Minister Bolduc on the importance of reading. The creation of the Illiteracy Network is also announced.
The Literacy Foundation, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, takes advantage of this day to award five scholarships I don't give up, I win! worth 1,000 $ each to adults who have returned to training in order to improve, in particular, their reading and writing skills. Minister Yves Bolduc will be present at the event and will deliver a speech on the importance of reading, while actor Alexis Martin will host the event.
In addition, also on the occasion of this day, 22 civil society organizations, including the Literacy Foundation, the CSQ, the CSN, the FCSQ, the FSE-CSQ, the FTQ and the FNEEQ-CSN unite in the creation of Network to fight illiteracy. He particularly wishes “That Quebec adopt a national strategy to fight illiteracy”.
By means of a press release, these member organizations of the Network believe that it is necessary to act on several fronts in order to lead an effective fight. For them, a national strategy to fight illiteracy must:
- take into account the reality of people with little or no literacy and of their families;
- be based on a global and coherent vision of the problem of illiteracy, its causes and its consequences; and
- ensure the implementation of measures which will tackle both the causes and the consequences of illiteracy.