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Halle fights against illiteracy: 20,000 adults affected!
On World Literacy Day 2025, Halle and the GBZ are drawing attention to the reading and writing difficulties of 20,000 adults.
Halle fights against illiteracy: 20,000 adults affected!
International World Literacy Day will be celebrated in Halle on September 8th - an occasion that highlights the frightening figures for reading and writing skills in Germany. Hall spectrum reports that around 20,000 adults in the city between the ages of 18 and 64 have inadequate reading and writing skills. These deficiencies not only lead to restrictions in professional life, but also to social exclusion.
The representative for culture and sport, Dr. Judith Marquardt, emphasizes that reading and writing are fundamental human rights. In Halle, there are a variety of contact points available to those affected: neighborhood offices, libraries and the adult education center offer support. The Halle (Saale) – Saalekreis (GBZ) Basic Education Center is particularly active, offering a wide range of free help, including literacy courses as well as programs in basic financial, digital, health and political education.
A nationwide concern
But the problem of functional illiteracy is not an isolated case. BMF informs that around 6.2 million adults in Germany cannot read and write sufficiently. The National Decade for Literacy and Basic Education, which runs from 2016 to 2026, aims to significantly improve the situation through targeted support measures. With investments of around 180 million euros, the Federal Ministry of Education (BMBF) is supporting a large number of projects to strengthen basic education during this period.
Older adults are often particularly affected by these challenges. Loud KMK 12 percent of German-speaking adults have difficulty reading and writing, with the majority being over 45 years old. These people not only need access to educational opportunities, but also the motivation to participate.
Practical approaches to improvement
The AlphaDecade aims to break down these barriers and enable broader social participation. Numerous projects have been launched to support employees with literacy needs in the company, while advice centers and multi-generational houses also provide low-threshold learning opportunities. These include, among other things, shared reading and writing opportunities in learning cafés, which are intended to make it easier to enter the world of reading.
Another important offer of help is the VHS learning portal, a free digital learning offer from the German Adult Education Association, which offers those interested access to online resources for literacy and basic education. Here, learners can continue their education independently and improve their own reading and writing levels.
The upcoming World Literacy Day not only celebrates the progress made in the field of basic education but also calls for active participation to create awareness of the urgency of the issue. Raising public awareness and long-term political strategies are necessary to make it easier for affected adults to participate in education and society. Because reading and writing are not just skills, they are the foundation for a self-determined life.