International Literacy Day at Girls' Prep

September 8 marked the 56th International Literacy Day, celebrated to remind the world of the role that literacy plays in facilitating human rights and dignity. Despite progress made, literacy challenges persist with 771 million illiterate people around the world. Sadly, most of these people are women.

Over the past three years, global events such as the Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and the occupation of Afghanistan by the Taliban have displaced numerous students and gravely impacted literacy efforts. As a result, nearly 24 million learners might never return to formal education.

This serves as a reminder to our girls to appreciate their education. Not only do they never have to face a future of exclusion due to being illiterate, but they have the hope of the prosperity and opportunity that a world-class education such as that offered at the GP, provides.

Our girls can read, lead and, in time, succeed, and yesterday, on International Literacy Day, Dr Seuss’s thoughts on reading rang true, “The more you read, the more you will know. The more you know, the more places you will go!” Our girls cannot wait to know more…and we cannot wait to see the places where they will get to!

As a fitting tribute to International Literacy Day, the GP launched a ‘Read to the Moon’ mission. ‘Read to the Moon’ is a GP initiative whereby our girls are challenged as a collective to read the same number of pages as there are kilometres to the moon. This will require every girl in the school to read at least 900 pages by the end of the year. Should they reach such heights, they will be rewarded with teachers being ice bucket challenged and water-balloon-bombed, with the more daring members of staff agreeing to be submerged in a full bath of ice! If ever there was a reason to celebrate the privilege, joy and fun of reading, this is it!

Mrs Sian May

Head of English