Well done everyone! Agnes Nieuwenhuizen’s article has been read just over 100 times in the last 24 hours. How many of you followed up with a note to Julia Gillard? Did you let us know about it? Thanks to those that did, but we need lots more to get to our target of 100 letters by the end of the week. I admit, I haven’t, but I hope to hand deliver a copy of the article and a letter to her office personally tomorrow. I might include some tea and biscuits to enjoy while she reads. Hmmm, perhaps it is time to invent the Hub Hamper….
Thanks to Bini for letting us know that Australia does indeed have two literacy ambassadors, author Christopher Cheng and poet and author Steven Herrick. At least, they were ambassadors for National Literacy and Numeracy Week in 2007. You can read about them here. You’ll see at the top of the page the words, “An Australian Government Initiative”. Clearly they use the word “initiative” in it’s broadest possible sense.
The four 2007 National Literacy and Numeracy Week (NLNW) Ambassadors are experts in their fields, offering years of experience, and sharing a passion for the importance of developing these key skills in Australian children.
Hmmm. It doesn’t really say HOW the Government supported the Ambassadors to share their passion with Australian children. Did they fund their travels throughout the country to allow them to speak to school children far and wide, or at least as far as you can get in one week? Did they saturate the media promoting this epic event? Let’s hope this token effort at promoting literacy (and numeracy) follows the Howard Government, and we see a real celebration of our authors in this country.
Now get writing to Julia, and then send an email to us!
The Hub 