Yesterday, (June 6, 2011) the Evening Standard – a very popular free newspaper in London – published a front page spread on the problem of illiteracy in the capital.
They are encouraging readers to volunteer three hours of their time each week to help a child learn to read.
According to their own research, one in three children in London doesn’t own a book. One in six working adults cannot read and 40% of employers say that their employee’s poor literacy skills have a negative impact on business.
The children who are being educated today have even less support than the last generation, thanks to government cuts.
If we continue to allow 20% of students to pass through the education system and to leave it without the ability to read and write confidently, it will have a major negative impact not just on those millions of people’s lives but also on our future economy.
Any literate adult in the UK can volunteer: Visit www.VRH.org.uk to volunteer or donate to support volunteer training programs.
