BOYS’ BRIGADE CITIZENSHIP

STAGE 2 : LITERACY

D O N E B Y : S G T J O N A S L O W, C P L B R A D L E Y C LY N E M I T C H E L L , C P L G E R R Y S I E W A N D L C P E U G E N E T A N

INFORMATION ON LITERACY• Literacy is the ability to read, write and use arithmetic, but it has since

expanded to include the ability to use language numbers, computers, and other basic means to understand and communicate.

• According to the Unesco (United Nationals Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), it was reported that one in 5 adults are not literate today and two-thirds of them are women.

• The ability to understand spoken words and to understand written words is the key to literacy.

• 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

ILLITERATE COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD• Millions of children(majority of them are girls), are illiterate and still have never learnt to

read and write today. 774 millions people aged 15 and older are illiterate from UNESCO details, 50% of them live in South and West Asia and 22% of the people in sub-Saharan Africa are not able to read or write. • TOP 5 ILLITERATE COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD:• 1.) Burkina Faso: 21.8 percent of the adults in this West African country are literate.• 2.) South Sudan: This country in east Africa, which became an independent state in 2011, has a

literary rate of 27 percent• 3.) Afghanistan: 28.1 percent of this country’s population are literate with a far higher

percentage of men (43.1 percent) than women (12.6 percent) able to read• 4.) Niger: The ratio of men to women in this landlocked western African country is also lopsided:

the literacy rate is 42.9 percent for men, 15.1 percent for women and 28.7 percent overall• 5.) Mali: Niger’s neighbor on the west, the literacy rate in Mali is 33.4 percent. 43.1 percent of

the adult male population can read and 24.6 percent of the country’s women.

LITERACY IN SINGAPORE• After 2003 in Singapore, education was made compulsory to all students.• All children born after 1st January1996 are required to attend national

primary school in Singapore • 95% of the population in Singapore have the ability of reading and writing

and overall well educated.

EXAMPLES OFINDIVIDUAL VOLUNTEERS AND NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS WHO HELP TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM OF ILLITERACY• Reach Out and ReadThe “Reach Out and Read” charity organization helps to prepare America’s youngest children to succeed in school by partnering with doctors to make books to encourage families to read together. They also help by advising the parents of illiterate children about how important reading and giving development-appropriate books to children. Families, together with the “Reach out and Read” organization read together more often and help better prepare children to achieve their potential with larger vocabularies and stronger language skills.• Literacy For Incarcerated Teens (LIT)The “Literacy For Incarcerated Teens” organization is the only non-profit organization working to end literacy among New York’s incarcerated( imprisoned) teens by inspiring them to read and by engaging the teens to do meaningful activities which are aimed to help shape their identities and their ability to desist from crime.

WHERE WE FOUND OUR INFORMATION!!:• http://www.care2.com/causes/10-countries-with-the-worst-literacy-rates-in-t

he-world.html

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Literacy#Literacy_in_Asia • http://www.adweek.com/galleycat/10-charities-that-promote-literacy/43235

THANKS FOR LISTENING!!Q & A S E C T I O N S H A L L N O W B E G I N .