Agencia de Gobierno Electrónico y Sociedad de la Información y del Conocimiento

35 – National Plan for Reading, Writing and Orality

Brief description of the commitment: The commitment aims at creating and implementing the first National Plan for Reading, Writing, and Orality (PNLEO), to ensure an actively participation of the various actors involved. The objective is to build a long-term public policy, comprehensively coordinated and evaluated, that recognizes reading, writing, and orality as citizens' rights, as essential tools for human development, and a means to boost critical citizenship and participatory democracy. Furthermore, to develop and implement mechanisms for monitoring and accountability in the execution of the PNLEO, as well as for its effective dissemination.

Organization leading the commitment: Ministry of Culture and Education (MEC) through the National Directorate of Education (DNE), National Institute of Letters (INLET).

Responsible for the commitment: Gabriel Quirici, National Director of Education of the MEC. Contact: educacion@mec.gub.uy. 

Technical head: Magdalena Raffo, Coordinator of Human Rights Education Programs, National Directorate of Education of the Ministry of Culture and Education. Contact : magdalena.raffo@mec.gub.uy

Actors

1. Government: Ministry of Culture and Education (MEC), National Administration of Public Education (ANEP), University of the Republic (Udelar), Technological University (UTEC), Institute of Children and Adolescents of Uruguay (INAU), Plan Ceibal.

2. Civil Society: National Academy of Letters, National Network of Reading Clubs, popular and municipal libraries, House of Writers.

3. Other actors (Parliament, private sector, etc.): Private sector, Private education, Uruguayan Association of Catholic Education (AUDEC), Uruguayan Book Chamber (CUL).

Implementation period: September 2025 - June 2029.

Problem definition

What problem does the commitment intend to address?

This National Reading, Writing, and Orality Plan, unlike others already in place, aims at addressing a range of issues related to reading skills and access to written culture, with a vision that extends beyond formal education. It is conceived as a cross-cutting public policy that serves the entire population by coordinating efforts with public agencies, civil society, and the private sector, and by recognizing the diversity of reading and writing styles.

According to various sources, it could be argued that Uruguay has low levels of functional literacy. A large percentage of students graduate without solid reading and writing skills. The 2020 ARISTAS assessment recorded a high percentage of students at the lowest performance levels, with a growing inequality between those who achieve solid learning and those who do not reach basic levels of comprehension. Similarly, in the 2018 PISA tests, 47% of students did not reach the minimum level of reading proficiency (level 2), and only 1% reached advanced levels of critical evaluation of complex texts. Furthermore, according to a 2018 study by ANEP (National Administration of Public Education) on reading habits among Uruguayan adolescents, 38% of students declared themselves non-readers, demonstrating a deficit in the development of reading habits among secondary school students. This deficit is also reflected upon entering university, where 41% of incoming students at the University of the Republic (Udelar) are unable to perform complex critical reading tasks.

Regarding incarcerated individuals, according to a study published in 2025 (Report: A Model for Diagnosing Illiteracy in the Incarcerated Population in Uruguay), 46% of incarcerated individuals are unable to use reading, writing, and arithmetic for their personal and social development. The study, conducted between September and December 2024 in 15 prisons across the country, showed that, of the 1,803 participants, 763 (42%) were functionally illiterate, and 66 (3.7%) were completely illiterate.

Access to books is unequal depending on the social context and reading is not perceived as a tool for personal development, so although Uruguay has library infrastructure, most of the population does not access or know about its services.

Therefore, although reading policies have been implemented in Uruguay, there is an emerging emergency that makes inter-institutional work with common goals increasingly necessary to eradicate low reading rates and improve reading habits and the value of reading.

What are the causes of the problem?

The low level of reading skills in Uruguay and unequal access to written culture are symptoms of a complex, multi-causal problem that manifests itself on various levels: educational, sociocultural, institutional, and territorial. Broadly speaking, one could identify four causes:

1. There is a lack of a coordinated and sustained public policy on reading. Efforts to promote reading have been scattered, intermittent, or focused solely on formal education. There has been no inter-institutional coordination with shared goals, nor a stable budget allocation.

2. Inequality in access to reading spaces and materials. Public and school libraries are not adequately equipped or integrated with community projects, which means that in more vulnerable areas access to books and reading is very limited.

3. Often, educational practices that are not very meaningful and focus more on decoding and reading comprehension than on enjoyment lead to widespread deficits in reading comprehension and writing.

4. Reading is scarce in the social environment and at home. Many families do not have books at home or in their immediate surroundings, nor do they enjoy regular reading practices because it is not seen as a pleasurable or valuable activity in daily life. In many contexts, reading is not perceived as a tool for personal development, enjoyment, or civic participation, but rather as a school obligation. Furthermore, other activities, such as social media, displace these practices.

Description of the commitment

What has been done so far to solve the problem?

The Reading Program, under the National Directorate of Education (DNE), initially emerged in 2005 as the National Reading Plan, within the framework of the Ibero-American ILIMITA Plan. Its purpose was to coordinate efforts and connect diverse social actors—state institutions, the private sector, international organizations, and civil society—that included reading in their activities. However, some areas, such as research, were not fully developed, nor was it possible to study the impact of the actions, nor could significant activities, such as the “First Symposium on Teaching Reading in collaboration with ProLEE,” held in 2014 with the participation of more than 800 national and international educators and specialists, be sustained over time.

Starting in 2015, the advisory committee was dissolved, and the budget and staff of the National Reading Plan were significantly reduced. In 2021, the program was renamed the Reading and Language Education Program, defining two priority lines of action: 1) Training, aimed at creating, strengthening, and improving initial and ongoing training programs. 2) Awareness and dissemination, focused on dialogue with society and the effective dissemination of its own actions and those of other actors in reading and writing.

While the promotion of reading became institutionally linked to the National Directorate of Education (DNE), other public agencies also developed initiatives aimed at strengthening reading skills and reading-related behaviors. In 2011, the Central Board of Directors (CODICEN) of the National Public Education Administration (ANEP) created the Spanish Reading and Writing Program (ProLEE), with the objective of improving reading and writing levels in schools with the greatest educational challenges. Initially, ProLEE coordinated actions with the National Reading Plan, especially regarding teacher training; however, over time, this coordination was reduced to specific advisory sessions, with both programs coexisting for more than fourteen years. In 2024, without any prior dialogue, the National Administration of Public Education (ANEP) presented a document entitled “National Reading Plan: A Didactic and Pedagogical Proposal for Improving Learning.” Its purpose is to provide teachers with a document outlining various teaching strategies to help them develop a course of action. It is not what is typically understood as a reading plan, but rather a pedagogical support tool designed to improve learning through the development of reading skills within the educational setting.

From the private sector, the House of Writers of Uruguay also presented in 2024 a proposal for a National Book and Reading Plan that seeks to strengthen the literary and publishing ecosystem.

Within this context, we can say that in the second half of 2025, Uruguay still lacked a national reading plan. While scattered actions and intentions from various actors can be identified, real and effective coverage has not reached the entire population, leaving rural areas and communities with less access to cultural, technological, and/or educational resources largely excluded.

What solution does it propose?

To create and implement a National Reading, Writing and Orality Plan as a cross-cutting, sustained public policy with clear leadership from the Ministry of Culture and Education (MEC), which will convene public bodies, civil society, the private sector and communities in a consultative manner, with the objective of guaranteeing equitable access to written and oral culture throughout the country.

The Plan proposes a nationwide collective construction process, resulting from agreements and consensus among all actors. It aims at becoming a long-term public policy that transcends changes in governments.

Unlike some previous efforts, this strategy aims at a strong governance, improved inter-institutional coordination, and shared goals. It proposes to address some of the potential structural causes of the problem, such as unequal access to reading materials, certain limitations in school practices, a possible social devaluation of reading, and the discontinuity of previous policies.

The following stages will be carried out to develop the Plan:

• The development of a situational framework, at the national and international level, on reading, writing and orality, and the drafting of a first draft of the base document with an initial definition of the conceptual framework and strategic objectives.

• The creation of a Commission made up of a representative from each organization linked to reading, writing and orality, in charge of supporting the development and validation of the PNLEO.

• To conduct working groups with the participation of key actors to define lines of action derived from the strategic objectives.

• The implementation of virtual participation spaces, through the digital platform for citizen participation, in order to receive input on the lines of action and submit the draft of the Plan to public consultation.

• Official approval of the Plan and public launch.

• To start the implementation, along with the launch of monitoring and execution mechanisms of the PNLEO.

• The implementation of a public viewpoint for citizen monitoring.

• To enable a feedback space on the citizen participation platform regarding the implementation of the Plan.

• Submission of annual monitoring reports.

What results do we want to achieve by implementing this commitment?

Through its implementation, the following results and transformations are expected to be achieved:

• Changes in knowledge, skills, and abilities: The National Reading and Writing Plan (PNLEO) will seek to strengthen reading skills at all educational and social levels (with a special focus on vulnerable sectors), promoting critical comprehension, reading for pleasure, and independent access to written culture. To achieve this goal, the plan aims at continuing training new reading facilitators in various settings—educational, community, prison, and family—expanding the reach and quality of reading practices throughout the country.

• Changes in behavior and practices: The aim is to achieve a social revaluation of reading, consolidating its presence in daily life, at home, in the media, and in public policy, through campaigns, networks, and collective spaces. Efforts will be made to coordinate the work of multiple institutions with collaborative actions, a territorial presence, and a shared focus. Above all, the goal is to improve access to books and strengthen reading spaces, especially in vulnerable communities.

• Institutionalization and sustainability of changes: to ensure the continuity of these advances, the PNLEO contemplates the drafting of the necessary regulatory instruments to turn it into a state policy:

  • PNLEO base document.

  • Draft Bill for the Promotion of Reading and Books.

  • Resolution creating a National Council for Reading and Books as a governing, coordinating and monitoring body.

Adopting these instruments will provide a clear institutional framework, budget allocation, and long-term monitoring. A key component will be the creation of an impact monitoring and evaluation system to measure progress, correct deviations, and ensure sustainable results.

The Plan will not solve the problem completely and immediately, but it will allow us to address its root causes and move towards a more equitable, critical, and participatory society. Overall, it seeks to establish a robust, participatory, and lasting public policy that will transform access to and practices in reading in Uruguay.

Commitment analysis

How will the commitment promote transparency?

The commitment will promote greater transparency and access to information on the public policy it addresses, increasing availability and facilitating timely access to information through digital tools and other instruments.

How will the commitment help foster accountability?

The commitment made to the National Reading, Writing and Orality Plan will promote a culture of accountability by establishing concrete mechanisms that require the institutions involved to report on their actions, results and use of resources, and at the same time, enable citizens to exercise their right to control and participate.

The PNLEO will contribute to improving institutional accountability through:

• The implementation of a public observation platform for citizen monitoring where the agents involved will account for what has been done and the MEC will validate them before they are published.

• Enabling a feedback space on the citizen participation platform regarding the implementation of the Plan, which will allow adjusting the policy based on the real needs of the territory.

• The definition of public and measurable indicators, which will allow monitoring of progress and evaluation of the impact of the policy from an inter-institutional perspective.

• The annual publication of progress reports, prepared by the Plan's coordination team and validated by the National Council for Reading and Books, which will account for the fulfillment of goals, coverage of actions and use of funds.

In this way, the commitment undertaken will not only facilitate access to information, but will also establish a logic of co-responsibility and public control that will strengthen the legitimacy of the Plan, guide its continuous improvement and consolidate its institutionalization as a state policy.

How will engagement improve citizen participation in defining, implementing, and monitoring solutions?

The entire process of developing the Plan will have a participatory approach, involving the various actors linked to and interested in the topic, including civil society organizations, NGOs, libraries, educational institutions and other actors at the local and national level to support and reinforce common policies that in some cases are already being implemented.