Embassy of the United States

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Letters and Speeches   Remarks by Ambassador Robert Blake at the National Symposium on Achieving the Goals of Education for All.

Madame First Lady, Minister Premajayantha, honored guests, educators, parents; it is an honor for me to be here today as Guest of Honor at the National Symposium on Achieving the Goals of Education for All.

None of us today needs to be convinced that literacy and education have always, for almost all of human history, been the single greatest gift that a society can give to its citizens. Literacy is the key to personal growth, to economic and educational enfranchisement, and to the development of human capital.

As a child I grew up overseas as my father also was a diplomat.  I acquired a love of books at an early age.  Perhaps an American diplomat should not admit this, but I devoured the books of Enid Blyton, from Noddy to The Famous Five and was enraptured when those stories were read to me.  Later I read the entire Hardy Boys detective series.  Now, much later, as a father of three young girls, I have seen first hand the pleasure children derive from books that transport them to imaginary worlds, that bring their favorite animals to life, and that help teach important lessons of life about friendship, honesty, and respect for other people’s cultures. 

Sri Lanka has an impressive 92% literacy rate, but others countries are not as fortunate.  771 million adults across the world cannot read, and more than two-thirds of them are women.  Many of these women are mothers who want their children to begin life with the opportunities and advantages they never had. That's why mother-child literacy programs are so important. When we teach mothers to read, we not only empower them to take control over their own lives, we also help them start their children on the road to a better, more hopeful life.

America’s current First Lady Laura Bush is someone who has devoted her life to helping others reach their full potential. As a mother, a public school teacher and a former librarian, Mrs. Bush has demonstrated a lifelong and tireless commitment to literacy and learning. And now, as First Lady and Honorary Ambassador for the United Nations Literacy Decade, she is sharing her belief in the importance of literacy with people around the world.

In Sri Lanka, her Excellency Shianthi Rajapaksa also sets a wonderful example as an enthusiastic supporter of children and literacy as evidenced by her work with both local and international NGO’s devoted to children, like Read-Write Sri Lanka, a project started by volunteers in Bethesda Maryland to rebuild 10 schools destroyed by the tsunami and then donate the school equipment and school supplies for children to go back to school.

Ladies and gentlemen, education is a vital investment in people. For families around the world, it can open the doors to peace, freedom, prosperity, and health—the aspirations of human beings regardless of ethnicity, faith, or geographic location. Literacy skills provide the foundation for lifelong learning opportunities that enable people and their communities to achieve those aspirations.

More than ever, literacy is indispensable in today’s world of emerging knowledge societies and knowledge-based economies. By investing in literacy, nations can be assured of improving their chances for success in the twenty-first century.

The United States is a strong supporter of education in Sri Lanka.  Since you already have made such exemplary progress in basic literacy, the U.S. Agency for International Development is helping Sri Lanka expand computer and English-language literacy.  AID programs provide the skills training to create more attractive candidates for in-demand jobs, including English, and the ‘language’ of computers – information technology.  The United States is upgrading literacy through the English Computer-based Learning program that helps people who are already literate in Sinhala or Tamil to acquire proficient English-language skills targeted toward the business and hospitality service sectors.  We are also helping underprivileged youth to acquire computer and English language skills through a public-private partnership with the Horizon Lanka Foundation.  

The United States will maintain its strong commitment to supporting literacy programs around the world, and will continue to work in partnership with governments, civil society, the private sector, and other donors to promote high quality, sustainable literacy programs.  Many developing countries can learn from Sri Lanka’s example in the field of basic literacy.  Our effort as a community of nations to raise levels of global literacy advances peace and prosperity. When we promote literacy, we build the foundations of human progress and freedom.  It helps people around the world build their nations, transform their lives, and improve the future for all of us.

Thank you and remember to read to your children tonight!