THE BIG READ SPEECHES

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THE BIG READ

Distinguished guest, ladies and gentlemen, all protocol observed. The Big Read is a life-changing story book that is being created by the Global Campaign for Education. Made up of short stories from some of the world’s most influential figures, the book tells remarkable stories about how education change the world as we know it.

This is a huge global read&write-a-thon involving young people in more than 100 countries around the world.

We all have the same goal in mind to make sure that world leaders keep their promises and provide education for everyone. No doubt, you’ll all agree with me that today is one of the most important occasions in the history of Women Business Center.

Well, children, ladies and gentlemen, before I go on to unfold some of the good things the Big Read has in store for the world, I think it will not be unwise to mention briefly some of the achievements of Women Business Center in respond to the challenges of Adult and Youth Literacy and Lifelong Learning.

A good illustration is the practical introduction of adult literacy programmes by our center specialist and the setting up social networks to respond to the growing numbers of drop outs from schools. The young feminist team has showed their remarkable support and spoke out openly against illiteracy that has plagued our society.

They have started knocking on doors to encourage children and parents to pay more attention to education.

774 million adults can not read, and 75 million children who are not in school will be denied the chance to learn to read and write. Although education has been promised since 1948, progress to date has been painfully slow.

The larger economy will suffer due to declining supply of education, as less resourceful individuals are available to work.

This leads to general loss of interest in life and even depression and subsequent decline in productivity.

Education gives people the skills and confidence to break-out of poverty and build a better life.
Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world (as said by our dear father Nelson Madela).
Education serves as fundamental aspect of socio-economic life. It is a variable tool to combat HIV/AIDS epidemic in such away as to equip an individual to make an informed choice and decision.

It helps to liberate an individual from poverty which is highly implicated as driving force of HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Educated people are usually natural and confident in their attitude to life whereas illiterate people are often shy and diffident.

Above all, education is a preparation for the greater life ahead. If this is so, then education must mirror the real life as much as possible.

The Global Campaign for Education is an international network comprising of organisations and individuals who believe that every person should have a good quality, free, public education.

The campaign is designed to mobilise maximum support for Adult and Youth Literacy and Lifelong Learning through the act of reading and writing and story telling. However, since a single three cannot make a forest, Women Business Center together with University of the Western Cape found it necessary to engage the Young Feminist Team in this Campaign.

My suggestion, therefore, is that government should make primary education free and compulsory throughout the country or, at least scrap off tuition fees so that parents could afford to send their children to school.

Government should also establish more adult literary centers or assist the already running ones by creating scholarships to accommodate more adults.

Teachers should be well paid and made feel proud of their profession to inculcate and maintain interest in their profession.
Political and religious leaders should stand up against illiteracy. The masses look up to them for political leadership and moral guidance.

The home, school and the society must close ranks and devise concrete ways of solving this dilemma of illiteracy.

Parent must be supported to send their children to school every day.
If they don’t, they rob them of the chance to become productive members of society, effective community members, good family members, and valuable citizens of the world.

Indeed, to wage a successful war against illiteracy in our society, all hands must be on deck. We must all be involved. There must be a total revolution in our ways of life and sense of values in fighting illiteracy.

This launch of the Big Read today is the first of many steps toward an invigorated educational campaign in South Africa and Women Business Center is proud to be affiliated with the effort of University of the Western Cape and looks forward to a continued successful implementation of education for all.

This petition is therefore an appeal to all leaders to consider education as a matter of urgency. So, for us to wage a successfully war against illiteracy in our society, let us all resolve to live worthy lives that education affords us.
Thank you.