EU Commissioner worried about illiteracy

EUROPEAN Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth Androulla Vasiliou has urged young people to read as many books as possible in a bid to improve literacy levels.

Vasilliou was speaking after an event against illiteracy held at a local elementary school in Nicosia yesterday.

Referring to the latest figures, Vasiliou said one in five children in Europe cannot read well.

”They can read but they do not understand what they read. So, we have launched a campaign to encourage children to read more books and make them understand the value of reading,” she said.

She also said that discussions with students have proved that the majority of the children prefer to watch a movie than read a book. The Commissioner stressed that if children cannot read properly, then they will not be able to use technology.

As part of the event, students read Aesop’s fables followed by a discussion on the benefits of reading books.

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