📰 Adult Literacy News Summary
Volunteers needed for 'life-changing' literacy charity
02-Jul-2025 - UK
A local branch of a charity that teaches adults to read are urgently looking for more volunteers. Read Easy is a national charity that provides a free, one-to-one and confidential learning facility for those in the community who either cannot read or struggle to do so. The Okehampton branch are urgently looking for more volunteers to help those in need in the community.
Read moreSome education grants in limbo were used for ‘leftwing agenda,’ Trump administration says
02-Jul-2025 - USA
The Trump administration has accused states and schools of using federal education grants earmarked for immigrants’ children and low-income students to help fund "a radical leftwing agenda". The administration this week withheld more than $6 billion intended for after-school and summer programs, English language instruction, adult literacy and more, saying it would review the grants to ensure they align with President Donald Trump’s priorities.
Read moreReading comprehension improves amongst Scotland pupils
02-Jul-2025 - UK
Five years on from the disruption of lockdown, young readers are engaging with more challenging books—and understanding them better – according to a new study authored by a University of Dundee education expert.
Read moreDevon secures £1.4m boost to expand adult learning and job skills
01-Jul-2025 - UK
More adults across Devon and Torbay are set to gain vital skills and qualifications thanks to a £1.4 million funding boost from the Department for Education. Devon County Council has confirmed plans to commission additional adult learning provision from external providers starting this August, after its cabinet approved the move on Wednesday, June 25.
Read morePolitical opinion with Alison Bennett MP: Adventure awaits at your library: from storytime to strong minds
01-Jul-2025 - UK
This Saturday is the beginning of The Reading Agency’s 2025 Summer Reading Challenge in England and Wales. This year’s challenge - based around the theme of ‘Story Garden- Adventures in Nature and the Great Outdoors’ - gives children the opportunity to visit our local libraries and celebrate nature through reading. Getting children reading is very important, especially given that the UK is facing a literacy crisis. According to the National Literacy Trust, the number of children who read for pleasure is at its lowest in 20 years. This decline has long-term consequences for these children throughout their lives, with The Reading Agency reporting that 8.5 million UK adults struggle to read.
Read moreWinchester Read Easy Adults Awarded for Overcoming Literacy Challenges
29-Jun-2025 - UK
Adults who never learnt to read have been recognised for their hard work in gaining literacy at an award ceremony. The ceremony, held at St Peter’s Church, Jewry Street, on Tuesday, June 24, celebrated those who have been learning the joys of the written word with Read Easy. The event was attended by the Mayor of Winchester, Cllr Sudhakar Achwal, as well as author Claire Fuller, one of the charity’s patrons, who also presented certificates to the new readers.
Read moreWriting for Pleasure is at Crisis Point – New Research from Literacy Charity Shows
25-Jun-2025 - UK
New research published today (Wednesday 25 June) by the National Literacy Trust, shows the downward trend in the number of children and young people writing for pleasure in the UK has continued into 2025. The National Literacy Trust’s survey of nearly 115,000 children and young people aged 5 to 18 confirms a deepening disengagement from writing. It paints a troubling picture of declining enjoyment, motivation, and habits, with concerning long-term implications for learning and literacy outcomes.
Read moreTripura Gets 95.6% Adult Literacy, Joins Mizoram, Goa as Fully Literate States
24-Jun-2025 - India
Tripura has become India's third fully literate state under ULLAS, reaching 95.6% literacy among adults. The programme focused on non-schooled learners aged 15+, using tech and grassroots support.
Read moreSalisbury Man Graduates from Read Easy Wiltshire Course
24-Jun-2025 - UK
A Salisbury man is set to read his first Doctor Who book after completing a literacy course. Jamie Bowden, 40, became the fifth graduate of South and East Wiltshire Read Easy. Having attended Exeter House special school and Salisbury College, Mr Bowden could only read short words and has struggled with longer ones throughout his life. He started volunteering as a porter at Salisbury District Hospital and is now working as a cleaner for Waitrose.
Read moreOver €7,000 in Funding Announced for Literacy Projects in Carlow and Kilkenny
24-Jun-2025 - Ireland
A series of new community literacy projects are set to benefit from more than €7,000 in funding across Carlow and Kilkenny. The funding is part of the Adult Literacy for Life Strategy, now in its third year, which aims to tackle literacy, numeracy, and digital literacy challenges across Ireland.
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