More than half of all children in low- and middle-income countries - and around 90% of those living in sub-Saharan Africa - cannot read well by age 10, according to a new study by the bank. The bank calls this "poverty study" and says it is a major problem because reading is a "gateway" to other subjects and skills; children who are not yet well versed in level four are less likely to get it.
In response, the international development bank launched a new plan on Thursday calling on far-flung countries to reduce their half-literacy by 2030, with the ultimate goal of achieving absolute reading poverty. The plan comes as figures from UN data show that progress toward the attainment of SDG 4 education goals - which include localization of literacy - is far reaching by 2030.
"More than half of all 10-year-olds in low-income countries are illiterate [and] that is unacceptable. Eliminating poverty ... is urgent and is the key to reducing poverty in general, enhancing collective well-being, and the key to helping children fulfill their potential, "David Malpass, President of the World Bank said during the inauguration ceremony.
"That's why we set a new goal today to cut at least half the world's poverty level," Malpass said, adding that while targeting will not be easy, it can be "achieved," and will need to be "reviewed.
Part of this problem is also that the goals of SDG 4 are very ambitious and broad for other policy makers to get behind, according to Jaime Saavedra, director of world education at the World Bank.
"SDG 4 has a large number of indicators but it is not good for the whole government system, we need something more that everyone can understand," Saavedra said.
By contrast, reducing the poverty of learning - which will require some countries to triple the development of literacy - is "difficult but possible," while also easy to understand, he said.
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