đź“° Adult Literacy News Summary
Nigeria’s Literacy Journey: Tracing Adult Education Growth from 1991 to 2025
21-Aug-2025 - Nigeria
Nigeria’s adult literacy rate over the past three decades has been marked by a mixture of progress, sharp setbacks, and gradual recovery. Data from UNESCO, the World Bank, and other global agencies reveal a fluctuating trajectory that mirrors the broader challenges of the country’s education sector. From 1991 through 2025, the literacy trend demonstrates how political instability, socio-economic disparities, and inconsistent policies have shaped Nigeria’s progress toward universal education.
Read moreThe death of reading is a civilisational catastrophe
21-Aug-2025 - UK
Researchers at the University of Florida and University College London have found that, in America, reading for leisure has collapsed by 40 per cent in just two decades. In Britain, according to the National Literacy Trust, the percentage of children who say they enjoy reading has plummeted by more than a third, while the number aged between eight and 18 who read daily has been cut in half. The verdict is in: books have lost to phones.
Read moreNew early literacy programme launched in Basingstoke
17-Aug-2025 - UK
Hundreds of children in Basingstoke are set to benefit from a new early literacy programme. The scheme, called Hop into Reading, will support infant school pupils in Basingstoke with free in-school reading sessions delivered by trained, DBS-checked nursery practitioners. Launched in August 2025, the initiative is the result of a partnership between Cornerstone Nurseries, Brevity Marketing, and Basingstoke Business for Good.
Read moreDigital Learning And The Fight Against Illiteracy In Pakistan
16-Aug-2025 - Pakistan
The education landscape in Pakistan paints a grim picture, even when compared to other countries within South Asia. While SAARC countries such as the Maldives and Sri Lanka boast literacy rates above 90%, even India and Bangladesh have literacy rates higher than 80%. Pakistan has a national literacy rate of 59%, which is behind Nepal’s 69% and only above Afghanistan’s 37%. When compared to the global average, Pakistan is in the bottom 20 countries of the world in terms of adult literacy.
Read morePHX Training secures contract extension to support Cumbrians
15-Aug-2025 - UK
A vocational training provider has secured a contract extension to continue supporting Cumbrian adults into next year. PHX Training has announced the extension of its Multiply programme, which helps adults in Cumbria improve their numeracy and literacy through the Multiply for Maths and Engage for English schemes. The new contract, funded by devolved local authority spending, will run until March 2026 and aims to support up to 100 adults aged 18 and over who do not already hold a Level 2 qualification in maths or English.
Read moreAI is making reading books feel obsolete – and students have a lot to lose
13-Aug-2025 - USA
A perfect storm is brewing for reading. AI’s writing skills have gotten plenty of attention. But researchers and teachers are only now starting to talk about AI’s ability to “read” massive datasets before churning out summaries, analyses or comparisons of books, essays and articles.
Read moreMake a difference to a child’s life-chances: Volunteer with Schoolreaders in Sunderland
12-Aug-2025 - UK
As the UK's largest in-school literacy charity, Schoolreaders is seeking passionate volunteers to inspire a love of reading among primary school children across Sunderland. Schoolreaders is a national charity dedicated to enhancing children’s literacy by providing volunteers who support 1:1 reading sessions in primary schools
Read moreLighthouse Poole launches adult writers group
12-Aug-2025 - UK
Lighthouse Poole has launched an adult writing group after the success of their young writer workshops. The programme will be delivered by Artfulscribe, a writer development agency and led by writers for writers. This new group will have weekly meetings from September 11 until November 27. Organisers have described the event as perfect platform for people to meet, share, and create with a community of like-minded individuals.
Read moreDoes it matter that Britons are reading less than ever before?
10-Aug-2025 - UK
Many of us struggle to read for pleasure, with repercussions for our brain health and civilisation – but there may be an answer. The last time 33-year-old Barney Iley lost himself in a book was in 2017, when he read Middlemarch by George Eliot. “It blew my brains out,” he says, recalling the “gratifying” time spent reading what Martin Amis once called the greatest-ever British novel. But that was eight years ago. “I don’t do that now – read books,” he adds. “Now I put reading on a pedestal. Reading a book would be a magnificent achievement. It used to be that the equivalent of reading a book would be a stroll; now it’s a marathon. That’s tragic.”
Read moreKalamazoo Literacy Council hosts annual Scrabble Fest to fund adult literacy programs
07-Aug-2025 - USA
The Kalamazoo Literacy Council (KLC) is gearing up for its biggest fundraising event of the year, Scrabble Fest. "This is our major fundraiser for the Kalamazoo Literacy Council to raise awareness and funds to support the cause of adult literacy." The KLC provides free services to adults seeking to improve their reading and language skills. The organization targets the 13% of Kalamazoo County's adult population that reads below a fourth-grade level.
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