Witness the launch of an acclaimed new book, Disruptive Literacy: A Roadmap for Urgent Global Action that shines a light on how to emerge from a post-pandemic educational crisis
A new book on solutions to the global literacy crisis, titled Disruptive Literacy: A Roadmap for Urgent Global Action was launched on 11 July during a two-day summit in Delhi focusing on how to make India literate in months, not years. The conference featured such high-profile guests as Rajnath Singh, the Hon. Defence Minister of India, who used a video link to exhort the group to work together for universal literacy. Dr Abdullah Rashid, the Hon. Minister of State for Education, the Republic of Maldives, was the chief guest, unveiling the partnership between DEVI Sansthan and the government of Maldives to accelerate foundational literacy and numeracy at the nationwide level, in all its public and private schools.
Here are the glimpses from the book launch at the Synergy Summit on 11th July at India International Centre, New Delhi
The book highlights the scale of the global educational crisis: as per UNICEF, over 70% of 10-year-olds lack foundational literacy and numeracy skills. The book strikes an optimistic tone, though, arguing that major breakthroughs are possible through a mass movement which involves all of society, including corporations, schools & colleges, NGOs, media and ordinary individuals. It is high time to replicate the experience of Ernakulam, which used a literacy movement to become the first Indian district to attain universal literacy, at the nationwide level to reap immediate gains and become a global example.
Watch Hon'ble Defence Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh hailing the book through a video message
Disruptive Literacy provides a roadmap for how to reach universal literacy, taking lessons and case studies from successful mass movements around the world. The government must play a crucial leadership role to conduct the campaign in a mission mode. The book argues that a paradigm shift is needed as the old teacher-centred rote-learning based education system has failed, leaving tens of millions of children and adults behind even before the Covid crisis. The book advocates the groundbreaking Accelerating Literacy for All program, which uses peer learning and the power of questions to unlock rapid literacy gains for both children and adults.
Disruptive Literacy has been hailed by politicians, international academics, literacy experts and educational changemakers alike, with figures as diverse as Yogi Adityanath, Ernesto Schiefelbein (a leading Latin American educationist), Vicky Colbert (former Vice-minister of education, Columbia) and Fred Mednick (founder, Teachers Without Borders) offering endorsements. Anil Swarup, former Secretary of Education, has described it as a ‘must read for policymakers and all those involved in the struggle against illiteracy’. Disruptive Literacy is published by Bloomsbury and available as a paperback or ebook in bookstores and online.
No comments:
Post a Comment