Ministers of Education Mark Family Literacy Day

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TORONTO, January 27, 2012 — Provincial and territorial ministers of education are joining today with parents, caregivers, and children across Canada to mark Family Literacy Day

Established in 1999 by ABC Life Literacy Canada, Family Literacy Day promotes family literacy and numeracy activities and encourages Canadians to make family time an opportunity for parents and children to learn together. To mark the day, activities and events are taking place throughout Canada, in schools and libraries, and in the community.

This year's theme, “Take the Learning Journey,” recognizes that learning can happen anywhere ― in the home, at school, in the community, and in the wider world ― and that literacy and numeracy skills can be nurtured and developed as parents and children explore reading, writing, using numbers, and communication together through play. Evidence shows that children who are encouraged to participate in such activities are more likely to be strong readers as adults.

“The world gives us so many learning opportunities,” said the Honourable Ramona Jennex, Chair of CMEC and Nova Scotia's Minister of Education. “And these opportunities don't begin and end with the formal school day. Parents and caregivers are ‘teachers of the world' for children and serve as guides on the learning journey, whether the trip is to the neighbourhood park, the city next door, or a country halfway around the world.”

CMEC first identified literacy as a priority early in the new millennium and confirmed its importance in its 2008 ministerial declaration, Learn Canada 2020. Since 2004, CMEC has held three highly successful forums on various aspects of literacy; in 2009, CMEC issued a formal commitment to literacy.

Literacy remains an integral part of CMEC'S work and is interwoven in a variety of programs and activities, including official languages learning, learning assessment, international engagement, and early childhood education.

About CMEC

Founded in 1967, CMEC is the collective voice of Canada's ministers of education. It provides leadership in education at the pan-Canadian and international levels. For more information, visit us at www.cmec.ca.

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Information

Colin Bailey
Director, Communications
Cell: 416-929-6970
Tel.: 416-962-8100, ext. 259
E-mail: c.bailey