§ Mr. WatsonTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what work his Department is supporting to improve literacy in Ghana. [171247]
§ Hilary BennDFID is preparing a new programme of £50 million over five years in support of the Government of Ghana's Education Strategic Plan (ESP). Increasing literacy is a key basic education target of the ESP. This programme follows DFID's five year £50 million Education Sector Support Programme, which similarly aimed to improve literacy levels.
DFID also provided £200,000 between 2000 and 2003 towards the Ghana Institute of Linguistics, Literacy and Bible Translation Literacy Programme, which worked on adult literacy among 34 minority language groups.
A recent survey has shown an improvement in literacy from 48 per cent. of Ghanaians aged 15 or above in 1997–8 to 53 per cent. in 2003.