[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.