Press Release: High-level group issues ‘wake-up call’ for Member States to address literacy crisis

The European Union needs to overhaul its approach to improving literacy standards, according to a high-level group of experts set up by European Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou to address the issue. One in five 15 year olds, as well as nearly 75 million adults, lack basic reading and writing skills, which makes it hard for them to get a job and increases their risk of poverty and social exclusion.

The expert group's chair, HRH Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands, a long-time campaigner in the field, describes the report as a "wake-up call about the crisis that affects every country in Europe".

The 80-page report includes a raft of recommendations, ranging from advice for parents on creating a culture of reading for pleasure with their children, to siting libraries in unconventional settings like shopping centres and the need to attract more male teachers to act as role models for boys, who read much less than girls. It also makes age-specific recommendations, calling for free, high-quality early childhood education and care for all, more specialist reading teachers in primary schools, a change of mind-set on dyslexia, arguing that almost every child can learn to read with the right support, and for more varied learning opportunities for adults, especially in the workplace.

European Commission: Memo/12/646: Frequently Asked Questions on the European Commission's literacy policy and report by the High-Level Group of Experts on Literacy http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/12/646&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

European Commission: Speech/12/586: Androulla Vassiliou: Literacy for All http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/12/586&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

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