President launches National Adult Literacy Awareness Week
President Michael D Higgins has today delivered a keynote address marking the launch of National Adult Literacy Awareness Week 2015 at an event in Dublin.
"Literacy is a gateway to participation."President Michael D. #NALA Launch, Adult Literacy Awareness Week @NGIreland pic.twitter.com/JtxY1CYxUC
— Dr. Denise O'Dwyer (@Dr_deniseod) September 21, 2015
The ‘Learning and life chances: promoting equality through basic education’ public seminar has been organised by The National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA) to raise awareness of the social and economic benefits of helping people with low or no qualifications access education.
OECD figures estimate that one in six Irish adults have poor literacy skills, with one in four people finding it difficult to do simple maths.
Tony Maloney - who recently celebrated his Junior Cert results - learned how to read at age 53.
He says that before he approached the National Adult Learning Agency, he relied on pictures to get by.
“Even labels meant nothing to me, absolutely nothing, unless it had a picture,” he said.
