September 8 is International Literacy Day. It is a day to recognize something basic but powerful: literacy shapes whether people can fully take part in work, family life, public services and their communities.
Literacy is more than reading a book or writing a note. It includes reading, writing, using numbers, communicating clearly, solving problems and using digital tools. These are all the skills people need to understand a prescription label, fill out an online form, apply for a job, read a workplace safety notice, manage household bills or help your child with homework.
For too many Nova Scotians, those everyday tasks can be difficult. A Nova Scotia literacy fact sheet reported that 38 percent of people in the province did not meet the literacy level required to handle the demands of modern work and daily life. That should concern all of us. Low literacy is not a personal failing. People can leave school early for many reasons. They may have struggled with learning, poverty, illness, family responsibilities, discrimination, unstable housing or a school system that did not meet their needs and yes, bullying.
Many adults have spent years working hard, raising families and contributing to their communities while quietly avoiding situations that expose their difficulties with reading, writing, math or computers.
That is why Literacy Nova Scotia matters. Founded in 1992, Literacy Nova Scotia works to ensure Nova Scotians have equitable access to literacy, essential skills, and lifelong learning opportunities. It promotes adult learning, supports literacy practitioners and helps connect communities with programs and resources. Full disclosure: I served as board chair of the Literacy NS board for several years.
Just as important are the local community learning organizations that do the hands-on work in towns, villages and neighbourhoods across Nova Scotia. These organizations offer non-credit programs aimed at improving literacy, essential skills and academic skills for work and daily life.
In Hants County, for example, the Hants Learning Network Association provides free adult and family learning programs, including adult literacy, essential skills, computer literacy and preparation for the Canadian Adult Education Credential. On the Eastern Shore and in the Musquodoboit Valley, ESMV Learning Network offers free tutoring, essential-skills programs, employability workshops and basic computer and digital-technology training. In the Truro and Colchester area, the Colchester Adult Learning Association is part of the local network that connects adult learners with literacy information, learning opportunities, and community resources. Similar organizations serve communities throughout the province. Check one out in your community.
These programs work because they are local, flexible and respectful. They understand that an adult learner may need evening classes, one-on-one tutoring, transportation assistance, or time to build confidence before taking the next step.
I got involved with literacy when we started a workplace literacy program, and from there, I helped build a literacy committee in my national union. Unions have also played an important role in workplace literacy. Many union members have supported literacy committees, plain-language efforts and workplace education programs.
Union involvement matters because workers know where training gaps exist and can help ensure programs are accessible, voluntary, and useful. If Nova Scotia wants a stronger economy, safer workplaces, healthier families and more engaged communities, it must support literacy. That means stable provincial funding for Literacy Nova Scotia, local community learning organizations, adult learners and workplace education.
A province cannot claim to want skilled workers, thriving rural communities, and fair access to public services while leaving people without the basic tools to participate. Literacy gives people more control over their own lives. It helps workers advance, parents support their children, seniors deal with online systems, and citizens hold governments accountable.
Funding literacy is one of the clearest investments Nova Scotia can make in its future. It gives workers a better chance to advance, helps parents support their children, allows seniors to manage an increasingly digital world, and strengthens communities across the province.
If we want a Nova Scotia that is fairer, more skilled and more prosperous, we must make sure every person has a real chance to learn, grow and take part. This is not charity. It is sound public policy.
