Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos announced spending on child literacy would triple “for as long as he is in government.”, according to a government press release Tuesday.
According to the release, the government has bought close to 530,000 children’s books and will distribute them to libraries around the country.
The books are part of a national plan to increase literacy, with a stated goal of raising Colombia’s 1.6 books read per citizen yearly to 3.2 books per citizen.
Speaking at an education event in Bogota, Santos said, “We’ve tripled investment in early childhood literacy […] Because we want all Colombian children – like us who’ve had immense fortune – to have the possibility of being part of the wonderful world of books.”
Highlighting the importance of this initiative, the President cited a UN study which advised public libraries to be stocked with at least two books per citizen in their catchment area. Currently Colombian libraries average one book per six residents.
According to the World Bank, Colombia’s total education budget was 4.7% of its GDP in 2009.