Speech by President Michael D. Higgins to mark National Literacy Awareness Week 12th September 2017
Dia daoibh a chairde. Tá an-áthas orm fáilte a fhearradh romhaibh go hÁras an Uachtaráin inniu, ar an lá speisialta seo.
Today is a very special day, one which brings us together to mark National Literacy Awareness Week and I am delighted to welcome you to Áras an Uachtaráin to honour this important week in our national calendar.
May I commence by saying how delighted I am to be Patron of the National Adult Literacy Agency. The invaluable work your organisation carries out is a vital resource for helping those in our society who are experiencing literacy challenges. Through your work, the National Adult Literacy Agency has brought hope and opportunities to many citizens who, for a variety of reasons, may not have been enabled to acquire literacy skills earlier in their lives.
Experiencing difficulties with literacy problems can at times make life seem a dark and lonely place. I am particularly delighted to welcome those of you here today who have bravely addressed the challenge of acquiring literacy, emerging into a world of hope and possibility that must once have seemed unattainable.
Each of you serves as a great inspiration to the many others whose lives have been shadowed by literacy difficulties, and I thank and commend you for your courage and the determination that has brought you to where you are today.
May I say how humbling and uplifting it was to hear Eamon Delaney’s personal story of his childhood and his journey with the National Adult Literacy Agency; his embracing and sustenance of his desire to learn and, in his own words “be a role model for my children”. The dignity and honesty with which Eamon shared his story of growing up with feelings of a sense of shame, frustration and failure due to his reading difficulties, was visceral.
His resolve to make not only his own future, but also that of his children, better is a shining example of remarkable courage and perseverance in the face of adversity. His will to succeed, his success, is a powerful impetus for anyone who may feel discouraged.
I commend his courage and generosity in sharing his story, a deed which will greatly help reduce the stigma associated with literacy difficulties. I congratulate his success, as I congratulate you all. You all have so much of which to be proud.
Throughout life, I have met many people whom I admire for their different qualities, strengths and attributes but it is true to say that among the most impressive people I have met are those who have experienced inequality, marginalisation, disenfranchisement and social injustice, but have retained or found the vision and sense of possibility that enabled them to embark on a journey of enlightenment and empowerment.
The importance and value of literacy cannot be underestimated and the achievement of global literacy is one of the Sustainable Development Goals. The accomplishment of this goal will be a significant step forward towards the achievement of equality and social justice; towards a fair, ethical and equal society where there is no conversation we cannot have, no information we cannot access, no doors that remain closed to us.
It is heartening to witness the progress that has been made during recent decades in Ireland in the development of adult literacy and in helping individuals improve their basic skills. There is still much work to be done, however.
A recent OECD Survey of Adult Skills showing that one in six Irish adults are at or below level 1 on a 5 level literacy scale, is clearly a sign that, more must be done to encourage and assist citizens who struggle with illiteracy to access the tremendous resources the National Adult Literacy Agency provide.
I am delighted to learn about the National Adult Literacy Agency’s campaigns – ‘Take the First Step’, and your ‘Learner Ambassador Programme’. I have no doubt these initiatives will be instrumental in raising that OECD figure, bringing closer the day when the goal of literacy for all our citizens will be achieved.
Some time ago I had the pleasure of addressing the Irish Reading Association of Ireland and I quoted the words of the great liberator and champion of civil rights Frederick Douglas: ‘‘When you learn to read, you will be forever free’. Such simple yet profound words. The ability to read and to write is at the heart of our journey through life. Through reading and writing; we travel and find treasures, both in print and online. Reading is fundamental to our independence and sense of well-being, it clears our thoughts and widens our perspective, it gives us a world view of ourselves, of life, and of human existence as a whole.
These skills open our minds and allows us to form opinion and good judgment. They allow us to express ourselves, to engage fully in society, to educate and inform ourselves, to open our minds, to realise our possibilities and to discover new worlds and new ways of thinking, to appreciate the beauty of life and to deal with its corresponding daily challenges.
Of course, in this digital age, the way people work and learn and communicate with each other has changed very much indeed. Nowadays, people who are not enabled to be digitally literate are also at risk of becoming outsiders in a society where more and more information is now being made available solely on line; more and more people are using modern technology to engage in everyday communication; and more and more workplaces rely on a digitally literate workforce in order to compete effectively in a global economy.
I am delighted, therefore, that digital literacy is included as an element of this literacy programme; a recognition that becoming part of the information society can no longer be viewed as an optional extra in life but must be seen as an essential and liberating life skill.
As to the future, may I suggest that a literacy on fiscal and economic matters may be as important to cohesion, citizenship and democracy itself, as being able to read was to parliamentary democracy and the extension of the franchise. Knowing the assumptions behind proposals that affect not only income but life itself is what is necessary, for example for the European Union’s Institutions to reconnect to the European Street.
In conclusion, may I thank you all, and through you everyone across the country who is involved with NALA, as students, dedicated literacy tutors or in the many other roles which contribute to the enduring success of NALA.
Mar fhocal scoir, is mian liom mo bhuíochas a ghabháil libh go léir as an obair atá ar siúl agaibh agus guím gach rath oraibh don todhchaí.
Go raibh míle maith agaibh.