Finland wants to be the world’s most literate country by 2030

A new strategy will strengthen the multi-literacy of citizens

On 16 November, the Finnish National Agency for Education published a national strategy designed to improve the literacy of Finns of all ages. According to the agency, the literacy of young people has significantly decreased in the past 20 years.

Now, with the new strategy, the agency will bring together various bodies to promote the development of multi-literacy and reduce the existing gaps.

New requirements as times change

Finland has set itself the ambitious goal of becoming the world’s most literate country by 2030. As such, it wants citizens to have not only reading and writing skills but also the ability to produce, interpret, and analyse other media such as images, statistics, etc. Commenting on this, the Minister of Education Li Andersson shared:

"As society changes, so do the requirements for literacy. We want to keep everyone involved, and that is why multi-literacy skills must be maintained and developed in everyday life, work, and studies."

How will literacy be strengthened?

Various bodies have now come together to implement the national literacy agency; these bodies include counselling centres, educational institutions, and libraries, among numerous others. More importantly, they include municipalities that naturally play a crucial role in carrying out multi-literacy work.

In a press release, the agency revealed that there are three key steps that the country must take to reduce the gaps in literacy. These include:

• Strengthening and creating structures for literacy work
• Strengthening the multi-literacy skills of professionals
• Giving readers of all ages the opportunity to get excited about reading

The Director-General of the National Board of Education, Minna Kelhä, discussed the importance of investing in the national literacy strategy, highlighting that literacy is the basis of all learning and well-being as well as the creation of a functioning society.