CLOSING A LITERACY GAP

Words by TVV In association with UofAjournals

Literacy is the quintessential human feature by which we navigate, interpret, and express ourselves on Earth. For a person—a child—to fall behind, or be rejected, from the shared literary and linguistic modes of Australian life is an obvious injustice. Access to education is a fundamental human right.

The two most persuasive predictors of childhood literacy in Australia are the locale of the child (particularly, whether or not they are metropolitan or regional in residence), and whether or not the child is a member of First Nations.

The 2019 NAPLAN test, for instance, found that just 36% of Indigenous students in very remote areas achieve the Australian national minimum reading standard. This compares to 96% for non-Indigenous students in major cities.

The ILF is a national not-for-profit charity that helps close the literacy gap via three core programs that get delivered to over 400 remote communities across Australia and the Torres Strait Islands. Their first program is Book Supply, which tackles the fundamental lack of books and access to books in regional Australia. Books are attained through partnerships with publishers and independent organisations, as well as purchased (via the public) through cash donations. Since their inception, the ILF have supplied remote Australian communities with over half a million books, catering to infants, adults, and every age between.

Program two is Book Buzz, which assists children under the age of five, to develop familiarity and openness with books through a daily ‘Story Time’ session. This aids the child when starting school and prevents any one child from feeling left behind by their peers.

Community Publishing Projects is their third program, and is—in my opinion— the quintessential embodiment of the ILF mission. Community Publishing allows children and adolescents to tell their own stories, use their own languages, and to help develop and maintain stronger, more tangible relationships between English and First Nation languages. Through this program, the ILF have published over 100 books—reflecting 26 Indigenous languages—written by children, families, and community elders, in remote regions across Australia. A further seventeen books have been moved to print throughout this year, including their first collection of graphic novels. I’ll let the ILF speak for themselves for a moment about how Community Publishing Projects operate:

“All potential publishing projects go through a proposal process which must meet our vision, strategy, and be approved by our Board. Each is different. Some involve working with the community, others involve translators, linguists, authors, illustrators, editors and artists. Once a book is published, we arrange an official launch and copies of the books are gifted to the community and often included in the Book Supply program. There is a real buzz and palpable sense of achievement when children and community members publish a book [...]. The young authors become role models for others. The books show their stories and experiences are just as important as any other published story. And other communities, as well as the Australian public, get a glimpse into the lives of others in remote communities. It is empowering. “

I took up bookbinding only four months ago. Since then, this meditative practice (which at times is rather stressful) has become an opportunity I depend upon in order to explore my breath, land, language, and body. The making of gifted journals has become a particularly intimate occupation with which I regain my mindfulness between my studies.

As much as I adore handing free journals to friends, family, and strangers, I have decided to launch this hobby into a fundraiser for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation. From a base style of a simple Japanese stitch (Koki Toji, Noble Binding), we now have several unique glueless stitch designs. Each journal features forty-eight blank A5 pages, and all cover and backend materials are ‘up-cycled’ from art-books, text-books, and other literary materials that have been sleeping on my shelves for many years.

Each journal sells for $25 (AUD) in the Napier building, and comes with your choice of ILF bookmark. All money from your purchase goes directly to the ILF in support of their mission and their three core programs. Stock is listed on our Instagram—@UofAJournals—which can be accessed directly via the QR code. While we do accept expressions of interest, as we largely operate on first-come, first-serve basis. Send us a DM if you’d like to make a purchase!

If you’d like to support the ILF but do not wish to purchase a journal, you can make direct money donations at: donate.ilf.org.au

If you’re seeking further information, want to donate books to remote communities, or wish to purchase a book published by the ILF, please visit: linktr.ee/ILF

This article and fundraiser is endorsed by the Indigenous Literacy Foundation.