Literacy is barrier to access to information, jobs and resources; literacy rates are lower globally among girls and women than among boys and men. Thus it is a key area of work for gender equity. This is recognised within the United Nations Millenium Development Goals.

Literacy skills extend beyond reading and writing to those needed for critical engagement with contemporary media. Beyond this, South Africa has developed a new course in mathematical literacy.

Useful Links

UN Millenium Development Goals

Mathematical Literacy Teachers’ Network

Further Reading

Buckingham, D. (2007) Beyond technology: Children’s learning in the age of digital culture, (Cambridge, Polity Press).