Leonel Fernández advocates for strengthening reading habits and digital literacy in Ibero-America
The former president of the Dominican Republic, Leonel Fernández Reyna, has made an urgent call to transform educational strategies in Latin America. During his stay in Madrid, the current president of Funglode highlighted the imperative need to promote reading, regardless of whether the medium is physical or digital, as a fundamental tool to combat the educational deficiencies affecting the region.
Although regional statistics reflect a literacy rate close to 95%, Fernández warned about a worrying phenomenon: the lack of reading comprehension. According to data analyzed by international organizations, approximately 80% of children in Latin America and the Caribbean finish their primary education without the ability to understand simple texts, a reality that the former president described as a bleak future.
There is a bleak future in that regard. We must work in two simultaneous directions: consolidating the habit of reading and accelerating the digital transition to close the technological illiteracy gap that affects a large part of the population.
Leonel Fernández Reyna
Strategic alliance with Spain
Within the framework of its work agenda in Spain, Funglode has formalized a cooperation agreement with the National Library of Spain. The central objective of this alliance is to adapt the successful Spanish model of reading promotion to the reality of the Dominican Republic.
- Implementation of diagnostics on children’s and youth reading habits.
- Strategic selection of pedagogical texts.
- Specialized training programs for teachers in charge of school libraries.
Fernández expressed his enthusiasm for this collaboration, noting that learning from the Spanish experience in library management and teacher training will be a transformative step for the Dominican educational system.
The former head of state’s agenda in Madrid has been intense, including meetings with political and academic leaders to analyze the Ibero-American geopolitical situation. His dialogue with former Spanish Prime Minister Felipe González, with whom he shared reflections on the current landscape, was particularly notable, and he will close his cycle of activities with a prominent participation in the Madrid Book Fair this coming Thursday.
