Logo
Prev
search
Print
addthis
Rotate
Help
Next
Contents
All Pages
Browse Issues
Home
'
Good Reading : September 2008
Contents
SEPTEMBER 2008 ı goodreading 23 You’re invited to be part of the second Indigenous Literacy Day (ILD) to be held on 3 September 2008. ILD is the major fundraising drive of the Indigenous Literacy Project (ILP) and presents an important opportunity to help raise urgently needed funds for Indigenous literacy. Thérèse Rein, this year’s patron said: ‘This project is a real opportunity for all Australians to get involved in a simple, effective and meaningful community activity. I encourage you, your school, your bookclub or your organisation to be involved.’ There is an enormous difference in the English literacy rates of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. The gap between students emerges early with non-Indigenous students far out-performing their Indigenous counterparts in benchmark tests for reading, writing and numeracy in Year 3 andYear 5.By Year 7, the gap has widened, particularly for numeracy. A study by Bortoli and Cresswell in 2004 found that by the age of 15, more than one-third of Australia’s Indigenous students ‘do not have the adequate skills and knowledge in reading literacy to meet real-life challenges and may well be disadvantaged in their lives beyond school’. For Indigenous people living in remote and isolated communities, the situation is far worse. In the Northern Territory, for example, only one in five children living in very remote Indigenous communities can read at the accepted minimum standard. By Year 7, just 15 per cent achieved this benchmark, 47 percentage points behind their urban Indigenous peers and 74 per cent less than non-Indigenous students. The ILP was established in 2004 and is a partnership between the Australian book industry and The Fred Hollows Foundation. It all started with a simple question: what could be done to help address the current literacy crisis in remote Indigenous communities? As low literacy is consistently linked to poor health, social and economic outcomes, there was a deep concern that illiteracy in many remote communities was a barrier to the kind of full, healthy and happy life many Australians take for granted. So how does it work? The Fred Hollows Foundation works closely with the Australian Booksellers Association (ABA) and the Australian Publishers Association (APA) by purchasing and supplying books and other culturally appropriate learning materials to remote communities where the Foundation works. Communities select and order reading material from catalogues and sample books provided by the ABA. Fred Hollows Foundation staff also identify other literacy needs and books are then supplied to schools, libraries, early learning centres such as crèches, women’s centres and other institutions. The second Indigenous Literacy Day will be held on Wednesday 3 September 2008. Individuals, members of the book industry, businesses and schools can all be involved in the many events being held across Australia. Authors Geraldine Brooks, Andy Griffiths, Dr Anita Heiss, David Malouf, Tara June Winch and Alexis Wright are all ILD Ambassadors. As David Malouf says, ‘Reading is a form of magic. It gives us access to a world that has no limits and where everyone is welcome and can be at home.’ Geraldine Brooks adds, ‘It is wonderful that the Australian book industry has embraced the Indigenous Literacy Project so warmly. As more books are placed in avid young hands, who knows what journeys will begin.’ beapartofit Can you imagine a world without books and reading? For many Indigenous Australians this is a reality but you can help bring about change by being a part of Indigenous Literacy Day as PAULA GRUNSEIT reports. reading life To find out more about the Indigenous Literacy Project and how you can participate visit www.worldwithoutbooks.or g
Links
Archive
August 2008
October 2008
Navigation
Previous Page
Next Page
