The Manifesto for Literacy

In September 2009 the National Literacy Trust launched its Manifesto for literacy and called on political parties to prioritise literacy in their manifestos for the anticipated May 2010 election.

One in six people in the UK struggle with literacy and the run up to an election is the perfect time to highlight the acute social, economic and personal problems associated with poor literacy.

In September 2008, the National Literacy Trust published Literacy changes lives, which showed the difference in a range of outcomes between those with good and poor literacy levels. The areas considered were:

• economic well-being
• aspirations
• family life
• health
• civic and cultural participation

As well as there being clear differences in outcomes between those with good and poor literacy, research also shows that individuals who improve their literacy levels have significantly improved outcomes in all these areas.

The National Literacy Trust believes that as literacy is associated with all of these outcomes, it is an issue of fundamental importance to social justice and equality and that the three major political parties need to treat it as such.

Developed in consultation with over 30 national organisations the Manifesto for literacy makes specific recommendations for government to develop literacy support for families, to modernise literacy teaching and to run a national campaign taking literacy to new audiences.

Read the Literacy Manifesto (short version)

Read the Literacy Manifesto (full version)