World Vision Joins Diverse Global Education Actors to Celebrate the International Literacy Day 2026.
Press Statement - London, 8 September 2026. On International Literacy Day, World Vision is calling for a broader approach to literacy that connects reading and writing with the skills children need to navigate real life, protect their environment and build more prosperous futures. Recent World Vision evaluation findings show that this approach can deliver significant improvements in learning while strengthening community and government ownership.
This year’s International Literacy Day theme, “Literacy for people, the planet and prosperity”, is a powerful reminder that literacy is about more than recognising words on a page. Reading and writing are fundamental, but their value grows when children can use these skills to think critically, solve problems, communicate clearly and make informed decisions.
At World Vision, we believe literacy should prepare children not only to decode words, but to engage critically with an increasingly complex world. Strong reading, writing, vocabulary and comprehension remain at the heart of effective instruction, yet when these skills are disconnected from real life, their purpose can become less visible. Integrating life skills, nature and livelihoods does not replace core literacy standards; it gives them greater meaning. For children, particularly those growing up in vulnerable communities, literacy becomes more powerful when it helps them solve everyday problems, communicate their ideas and make informed choices.
World Vision’s Unlock Literacy approach integrates reading and writing with life skills, nature and livelihoods, while maintaining a strong focus on vocabulary, comprehension and core literacy standards. In 2025, World Vision supported school districts and communities across 36 countries, empowering more than 21,000 teachers and 200,000 parents to deliver this integrated approach.
The emerging evidence is compelling.
In Uganda, reading comprehension among Grade 3 learners rose from 20.2% in 2020 to 75.2% in 2024, with intervention schools outperforming matched comparison schools by more than 10 percentage points. At the same time, the cost per child fell by 47%, from US$30 to US$15.90. More than 2,000 School Management Committee members across 541 schools have also been trained to help sustain progress, demonstrating the importance of embedding literacy beyond the classroom.
In Indonesia, the proportion of children reading with comprehension nearly doubled, increasing from 32% in 2022 to 64% in 2025, exceeding the programme target of 53%. One year after training, 96% of teachers were still applying the methods, while local governments began investing directly in reading clubs and tutor incentives.
Although it could be said that improving literacy is primarily a matter for schools, the evidence suggests otherwise. Stronger and more sustainable progress is possible when teachers are supported, parents are engaged, communities are involved and governments take ownership.
On this International Literacy Day, World Vision calls on governments, education partners, donors and communities to invest in literacy approaches that connect learning with children’s everyday realities and build lasting local ownership.
The world cannot afford for millions of children simply to sit in classrooms without acquiring the skills they need to thrive. Governments and partners must move faster, invest smarter and scale approaches that work, ensuring every child has the opportunity not only to read and write, but to use those skills to shape a better future.
Note: The data referenced in this statement has been collected through recent World Vision evaluations and has not yet been formally published.
ENDS-
For media interviews contact: Karla Harvey, Sr Advisor of Impact Comms & External Engagement Email: karla.harvey@wvi.org