Commission and UNESCO call for joint action on literacy

The European Commission and UNESCO have called for joint action to reduce the number of young people and adults lacking basic reading and writing skills, both in Europe and world-wide, at a meeting in the European Parliament on 22 January.

Androulla Vassiliou, the European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, outlined what the EU can do at the political level to boost literacy. She underlined that, in addition to investing in education, everyone can contribute to improving literacy levels, from parents to employers and health services.