National Year of Reading

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I'm duty bound to give this public announcement.  But it's also very cool.

It's the National Year of Reading in Australia in 2012.  Why?  The Australian Library Association told us so.  Well, it's actually because research shows that 47% of Australians don't have the literacy level required to fill in a basic form properly.  This is a push to get Australians reading.  The base line goal is to get people reading an hour a week.  Seems sooo low to me, but obviously I like reading a lot.

So get reading and check out what your public library is doing for it.  Might be (vaguely) fun (in a library kind of a way).


Comments

Anonymous said…
Hi Jenny

As a TCK you might be interested in the first item on last Friday's Boundless podcast, Focus on the Family's podcast for young adults (18-39ish), which is all about being an MK and the impact it has on your life. It features a group of young adults who were an MK when growing up discussing their experience.

You can find out more about it at:
http://www.boundlessline.org/2012/02/we-are-the-world-episode-209.html

You can listen to it via itunes or another podcast broadcaster.

I really enjoy and benefit from your blog posts and appreciate you writing them, particularly when you are so busy.

One of your UK readers.

Linda
February 8, 2012 at 8:34 AM
Karen said…
Beat you to it :) I blogged this the other night...

Wow. 47% can't fill in a form properly. That's a bit scary. Although if it's Centrelink forms they are talking about then I totally get it (even those with several degrees and high levels of literacy might struggle with those...)
February 8, 2012 at 9:38 AM
Eb said…
A certain person would go into withdrawal if he only got 1 hour per week of reading! I think we'll keep that punishment in reserve for only the most heinous of crimes.
February 8, 2012 at 11:03 AM
Sarah Condie said…
Way to go Jenny, a passion close to my heart too! I agree, one hour a week seems rather small, but from little things, big things grow!
February 8, 2012 at 11:04 AM
simone r said…
I read for much longer than one hour a week, but I'm in the 47% who can't fill in a form. Don't think reading has much to do with it.
February 8, 2012 at 5:41 PM
Jenny said…
Here's what the NYR website said about the lack of literacy skills in Australia.


"Nearly half the population struggles without the literacy skills to meet the most basic demands of everyday life and work. There are 46% of Australians who can't read newspapers; follow a recipe; make sense of timetables, or understand the instructions on a medicine bottle"

I'm the same with those terrible Centrelink forms btw. Horrible.
February 8, 2012 at 7:35 PM
Jenny said…
And thanks for the link Linda. I'll download it and listen to it on the train tomorrow.
February 8, 2012 at 7:36 PM
Heather said…
I remember my mother (who did Honours in English at uni) complaining bitterly when Centrelink returned form that she had not completed correctly
February 8, 2012 at 8:52 PM
Karen said…
It was a recent experience with Centrelink forms in our house that prompted my comment above...we both have postgraduate University degrees and we still got it wrong the first time!
No wonder they have so many unclaimed payments...
February 8, 2012 at 9:02 PM
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