International Literacy Day is September 8, 2009. In Paris, Dr. Lalage Bown, who spent more than 30 years working in Adult Education at Universities in Zambia and Nigeria will give an International Literacy Day Lecture on ‘Literacy and Empowerment’ at UNESCO headquarters in Paris on September 8.

Celebrate International Literacy Day
International Literacy Day is September 8, 2009. In Paris, Dr. Lalage
Bown, who spent more than 30 years working in Adult Education at
Universities in Zambia and Nigeria will give an International Literacy
Day Lecture on ‘Literacy and Empowerment’ at UNESCO headquarters in
Paris on September 8.

16 to 18 October 2009 with the
THEME:  Facing the literacy challenge: foundations for literacy and beyond.
VENUE: Wits School of Education, Parktown, Johannesburg.

Much concern has been voiced about literacy recently from a number of experts working in the field of literacy. The poor results from national and international evaluations have shown that literacy learning and teaching faces huge challenges. Literacy in the informal sector faces similar challenges. South Africa is placed in a position where the literacy needs of adults, displaced communities, young children, and working professionals need to be met, but met in ways that fit particular needs and diverse contexts. It is with this in mind that RASA’s 2009 conference focuses on some of the literacy challenges as a way of bringing them to light and thinking about solutions as we move forward.

The conference will be organized according to the following strands:  Adult/family/community literacy; Assessment Practices; Emergent and early literacy; Primary School literacy; Secondary School literacy; Tertiary Literacy; Literacy and Numeracy across the curriculum; Multilingualism; Critical Literacies; Digital Literacies and New Technologies; Leadership/professional development.

RASA is pleased to announce that Professor Michelle Commeyras from the University of Georgia will be our keynote speaker.

• Please send your abstract in a Word document of not more than 200 words.
  
• State your title, presenter(s) name(s) and the relevant strand.
  
• State what type of equipment you would need for your presentation.
  
• Presentations can take the form of Individual papers (30 minutes, 20 minutes speaking time 10 minutes question time), Colloquia (2 hours, 3-5 speakers), Workshops (1 hour).
  
• Please state which form your presentation will take.
  
• The closing date for abstracts is: 31 July 2009.

Please email this information to shalati.mabunda@wits.ac.za