MOULTRIE – Moultrie Technical College and the Technical College System of Georgia have joined in the declaration to celebrate Adult Education and Family Literacy Week, Sept. 8-12 to not only acknowledge International Literacy Day on Sept. 8, but also to extend it into a week-long celebration in Georgia. Part of the celebration includes an essay contest for Moultrie Tech’s Adult Education and GED® test preparation students about the importance of literacy.

International Literacy Day was first proclaimed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in 1965 to focus attention on worldwide literacy needs. More than 780 million of the world’s adults, nearly two-thirds of whom are women, do not know how to read or write, and between 94 and 115 million children lack access to education. 

In the United States, one-fifth of the adult population cannot read well enough to cope successfully as workers, parents and citizens. Literacy problems in the southeastern U.S. cost nearly $57.2 billion annually, with $2.1 billion per year of that in Georgia.

Georgia Governor Nathan Deal signed the proclamation Aug. 25 declaring Adult Education and Family Literacy Week and Sept. 8 as Georgia Literacy Day.

“This proclamation provides a new opportunity to elevate adult education and family literacy throughout Georgia with policymakers, the media, and the community,” said Beverly E. Smith, assistant commissioner of the TCSG Office of Adult Education. “In addition, this is a prime opportunity to draw attention to the needs of our state in regard to workforce development…Georgia has 1.2 million citizens over the age of 18 who have less than a high school education. That is 18 percent of Georgia’s adult population.”

According to the 2010 U.S. Census, Moultrie Technical College’s four-county service delivery area of Colquitt, Tift, Turner and Worth has an average of 26.8 percent of residents who do not have at least a high school diploma. This is approximately ten percent higher than the state average.

MTC Director for Adult Education Melissa Burtle says she believes the greatest barrier to economic development and growth is the absence of a literate workforce, with 75 percent of unemployed adults having difficulty reading and writing. Burtle adds that the current unemployment rate for individuals who have not completed high school is 8.5 percent higher than that for individuals with a four-year degree or higher.

Adult education and family literacy programs serve adult students who need to improve their basic literacy and math skills, improve their oral and written English, practice for the General Educational Development, or GED, test to attain a high school equivalence degree, and prepare for community college or vocational training. These programs are focused on breaking the cycles of low literacy, low education, and poverty. Nationally, fewer than ten percent of adults who could benefit from literacy programs are currently being served.

Moultrie Technical College’s Adult Education program is working to change that through the free classes it offers for people ages 16 and over. In its four-county service delivery area of Colquitt, Tift, Turner and Worth, Moultrie Tech enrolled 1,083 students in adult education and literacy programs in academic year 2013-2014 with 111 students obtaining a GED diploma.

“Over 60 percent [of our students] come to us at sixth grade or below grade level. It takes a lot of work to get them to GED® level,” said Burtle. “As we always tell our students, it doesn’t matter where you start, just where you finish. We like to finish strong.”

Exceeding the state’s benchmarks set for each technical college by more than 13 percent last year, over 38 percent of MTC’s Adult Education graduates continued their education at either Moultrie Tech or another institution. More than 42 percent were able to obtain employment after graduating with the GED diploma from Moultrie Tech. This represents a 16 percent overage from the goal set for MTC by the TCSG.

Local Certified Literate Community Programs, or CLCPs, are also on board as volunteer organizations that promote literacy initiatives throughout Colquitt, Tift, Turner and Worth counties and partner with Moultrie Tech to see county-wide education levels increase.

For more information about Moultrie Tech’s Adult Education program and the Literacy Week events, call 229-391-2615 or log on to www.moultrietech.edu/adulted.