    [Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 42, Number 38 (Monday, September 25, 2006)]
    [Pages 1625-1626]
    [Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    <R04>
    Proclamation 8053--Literacy Day, 2006

     September 15, 2006

     By the President of the United States

     of America

     A Proclamation

        The ability to read is the gateway to educational excellence and a
    key to success in any democratic society. On Literacy Day, we recognize
    the vital importance of literacy to our Nation and affirm our commitment
    to helping improve the lives of the men,

    [[Page 1626]]

    women, and children in America and around the world who cannot read.
        Our society has a responsibility to ensure individuals have the
    educational opportunities to learn to read. Literacy is a basic
    requirement for healthy societies and enables people to better care for
    themselves and their families. Reading also encourages participation in
    the democratic process and helps people reach their full potential
    through self-reliance and independence.
        My Administration is committed to helping children and adults gain
    the reading skills they need to succeed in life. Through No Child Left
    Behind programs such as Reading First, Early Reading First, and Striving
    Readers, we are challenging the soft bigotry of low expectations and
    helping to provide students with the foundation to achieve their dreams.
    Reading also helps adults to be better consumers, and wider literacy
    increases economic participation, which helps to create more stable and
    vibrant economies. The White House Conference on Global Literacy, led by
    First Lady Laura Bush, is working to promote literacy for individuals of
    all ages and help give people around the world the skills necessary for
    success. By increasing literacy, we can help change lives and equip all
    people with the knowledge and tools to excel in the 21st century.
        On Literacy Day, we recognize the great value of reading and
    encourage individuals around the world to take an active role in
    promoting literacy. Together, we can build a stronger society and a
    bright future for people everywhere.
         Now, Therefore, I, George W. Bush, President of the United States
    of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution
    and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim September 18, 2006, as
    Literacy Day. I call upon the people of the United States to observe
    this day with programs and activities that advance literacy for
    Americans and all the people of the world. By donating books to local
    libraries, volunteering to tutor, supporting international literacy
    programs, and fostering a learning environment in the home, citizens
    across this great Nation can make a difference and help their fellow
    Americans and people throughout the world enjoy the benefits of
    literacy.
         In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this fifteenth day
    of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand six, and of the
    Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
    first.
                                                    George W. Bush

     [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 8:45 a.m., September
    19, 2006]

    Note: This proclamation was published in the Federal Register on
    September 20. This item was not received in time for publication in the
    appropriate issue.