Flinders Park SA, Australia, March 22, 2012 — The first ever World Literacy Summit will be held in Oxford, United Kingdom, from 1-4 April 2012, bringing together 300 of the world’s literacy experts from up to 80 countries to discuss the international literacy crisis.

Flinders Park SA, Australia, March 22, 2012 — The first ever World Literacy Summit will be held in Oxford, United Kingdom, from 1-4 April 2012, bringing together 300 of the world’s literacy experts from up to 80 countries to discuss the international literacy crisis.

Current estimates suggest that illiteracy affects more than 800 million people globally. The summit will see leaders from government; education and international development meet to form an action plan to build long term, sustainable solutions to reduce the global crisis of illiteracy, culminating in Oxford Declaration at the Summit’s end.

Ahead of the conference The World Literacy Foundation will release its final report The Economic & Social Cost of Illiteracy – Countdown to 2015: A snapshot of illiteracy in a global context on Thursday, 29th March.

The Research will highlight the costs of illiteracy to countries in around the globe.

The report estimates that illiteracy costs the global economy over $1 trillion USD each year in lost wages, business profits, welfare benefits and social programs.

The Economic & Social Cost of Illiteracy – Countdown to 2015: A snapshot of illiteracy in a global context will be released on Thursday, 29th March.

Note: A media embargoed copy of the report will be available Monday 26th March.

The following people will be available for interview on March 29th (with limited embargoed advance availability) to talk about the research, its results and what it means for your country and wider world:

Dr. Anthony Cree (Australia) – Chairman, World Literacy Summit

John Fallon (UK) – Pearson International

Andrew Kay CEO of the World Literacy Foundation

Luis Crouch (USA) – Global Partnership for Education & Literacy

Kelvin Mutugi (Kenya) – Summit Ambassador

Andrew Kay, CEO of the World Literacy Foundation said “Illiteracy has major social and economic consequences on a person’s life. No matter if you live, illiteracy is ruining lives and is linked with an array of poor life outcomes, such as poverty, unemployment, social exclusion, crime and long term illness. It is estimated that 800 million people in the world are technically illiteracy with many more people who struggle to read and write.”

World Literacy Summit www.worldliteracy2012.org.
Andrew Kay email [email protected]

Contact:
Darryn Keneally
Director
Janico Pty Ltd
PO Box 1061, Flinders Park
South Australia, 5025
0410-344-761
F:08-8353-0656
[email protected]
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