National Adult Literacy Database

October 24, 2005

This week, we are launching a story from Rabbittown Learners' Program, in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. As a special event you can read his story as well as hear it, with Windows Media Player. In May 1988, Rabbitown Learners Program opened its doors as an Adult Basic Literacy Program in response to the need for upgrading by a group of community residents. Since 1999, they are providing both Basic Literacy and Level 1 curriculum, which includes such areas as : Reading, Writing, Math, Science, Social Studies, Basic Computer Training and a wide range of Critical Skills. The uniqueness of their program is demonstrated through their interaction with other community agencies that they network with, thus providing an innovative and unique approach to literacy.

The following story was written by Robert Parsons, from St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. He is enrolled in literacy classes at Rabbittown Learners' Program.

Play an audio version of this story

If I Ruled the World

by Robert Parsons

If I ruled the world I would give a lot of food to the people that are hungry so they would not get sick and die. I would feed Africa and the Middle East and try to help Newfoundland and its people. I would tell the United States to stop having wars with other countries. I would try to get farm land to get farms built on that bit of land so the people could get money to buy food. Then I would give people trades so they could get better jobs and start their own businesses. I would build homes for the homeless. I would try to give every child a free education so they will have a good start in life. I would like to get a program like Rabbittown and put it every city in the world so people would know what it is like to read for the first time in there lives. Then I would try to get every country in the world to stop fighting each other and stop selling children into slavery and also to stop teaching children to hate. But mainly I would like every person in the world to be treated fairly. Then there would be peace in the world.