The global launch of the 2006 EFA GMR “Literacy for Life” was held at the Whitechapel Idea Store with the collaboration of the Education Committee, UNESCO and DFID.

Speakers included The Rt Hon. Baroness Amos (Leader of the House of Lords and Lord President of the Council), Mr Koïchiro Matsuura (UNESCO Director-General) and Dr Nicholas Burnett (Director of the GMR). A highlight of the event was testimony by Anwara Begum, a local resident from Bangladesh who spoke about her experience of learning to read and write as an adult in the UK.

The Whitechapel Idea Store is one of seven such Stores pioneered by the Tower Hamlets Council to create a network of adult education, library and information services rooted within the local community. In addition to a traditional library service, Idea Stores offer a wide range of adult education classes, along with career support, training, meeting areas, and other facilities.

The decision to launch the GMR globally at the Idea Store reflected the attention given in the GMR to enriching the literate environment through community-based services, access to ICT facilities and adult education opportunities.

Follow-up events in the UK were taken up actively by the Education Committee and partner organisations, including seminars to discuss the literacy challenge and sponsoring a lecture and discussion jointly with the Council for Education in the Commonwealth for Dr Nicholas Burnett at the House of Commons on 24 January 2006.

Photo: from left to right, Mrs Christine Whatford CBE (Chair of UK National Commission for UNESCO Education Committee, Mr Koïchiro Matsuura (Director-General of UNESCO) and Baroness Amos (Leader of the House of Lords and Lord President of the Council) - 9 November 2005.

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About EFA Global Monitoring Report
Download 2007 Global Monitoring Report: Early Childhood Education
Download 2006 Global Monitoring Report: Literacy for All