UNESCO continues to play a leading role in improving global literacy and promoting International Literacy Day with governments, communities, etc. Despite progress made, literacy challenges persist with at least 773 million adults worldwide lacking basic literacy skills today. The Literacy Day will reflect on the innovative and effective pedagogies that can be used in youth and adult literacy programs to face the pandemic and beyond.
International Literacy Day 2021: Theme
International Literacy Day (ILD) 2021 will be celebrated under the theme “Literacy for a human-centered recovery: Narrowing the digital divide”.
The COVID-19 crisis has disrupted the learning of children, young people, and adults at an unprecedented scale. It has also magnified the pre-existing inequalities in access to meaningful literacy learning opportunities, disproportionally affecting 773 million non-literate young people and adults.
International Literacy Day: History
UNESCO declared September 8 as International Literacy Day to raise awareness and remind people of the importance of literacy as a matter of dignity and human rights. International Literacy Day was founded by proclamation of The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, or UNESCO, in 1966 “to remind the public of the importance of literacy as a matter of dignity and human rights. The idea of an International Literacy Day was born at the World Conference of Ministers of Education on the eradication of illiteracy held in Tehran in 1965. This day was also adopted as part of the UN's sustainable development goals program in 2015.
Literacy Day Quotes:
- “You educate a man; you educate a man. You educate a woman; you educate a generation.” - Brigham Young
- “Literacy is a bridge from misery to hope." - Kofi Anna
- “The function of education is to teach one to think critically. Intelligence plus character- that is the goal of true education.” - Martin Luther King Jr., activist, and leader of the Civil Rights Movement
- “Education is the most powerful weapon for changing the world.”- Nelson Mandela
- “Literacy is the most basic currency of the knowledge economy.” - Barack Obama
- “The man who does not read has no advantage over the man who cannot read.” - Mark Twain
