History of International Literacy Day

8
th
September is celebrated worldwide as International Literacy Day, UNESCO reminds the international
community of the status of literacy and adult learning globally. The theme of International Literacy
Day 2012 is Literacy and Peace. This theme was adopted by the United Nations Literacy Decade
(UNLD) to demonstrate the multiple uses and value that literacy brings to people. Literacy is a cause
for celebration since there are now close to four billion literate people in the world. However, literacy
for all children, youth and adults is still an unaccomplished goal and an ever moving target. A
combination of ambitious goals, insufficient and parallel efforts, inadequate resources and strategies,
and continued underestimation of the magnitude and complexity of the task accounts for this unmet
goal. Lessons learnt over recent decades show that meeting the goal of universal literacy calls not only
for more effective efforts but also for renewed political will and for doing things differently at all levels
locally, nationally and internationally.
HISTORY OF INTERNATIONAL LITERACY DAY:
Since its very inception, this day became a special occasion to mark literacy awareness and many
educational programs featured this particular day in their year round events. International Literacy
Day was established in 1965 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO), and is celebrated around the world each year on September 8. But in the year 1990, the
United Nations General Assembly provided a bolster to global literacy by proclaiming the year as
International Literacy Year. The special year marked the ongoing commitment of the world community
to boost and support literacy as a key to personal progress and to the socio-economic development of
nations. 2009 theme was The Power of Literacy. It means this year the focus will be on the
empowerment of literacy and its importance for participation, social progress and citizenship. Literacy
and Empowerment is the theme for the year 2009-2011 of the United Nations Literacy Decade has
been accepted.
About the Day:
For over 40 years now, UNESCO has been celebrating International Literacy Day by reminding the
international community that literacy is a human right and the foundation of all learning.
SOME MAJOR CAUSES OF ILLITERACY
Illiteracy is not caused by a lack of intelligence. It is often a result of outside factors or disabilities that
can be addressed.
A major cause of illiteracy is the economic condition of the people, those living in poverty cannot afford to
go to school and most of the children are put to work at a young age. Some undeveloped countries
simply do not have the funds to put towards schooling.
A little known cause of illiteracy is cultural influences. Children learn a lot from their environment at a
young age and are known to mimic the behavior of the people around them. This is why parents are
encouraged to read to their children, it sets an example, showing reading as a form of enjoyment.
This can be applied to any educational activity. Parents with little desire to read or those that lack
appropriate reading/learning skills themselves are more likely to subconsciously pass this trait onto
their children.
Some people have argued that ignorance and unwillingness are causes of illiteracy for some people.
There are people who believe that a child has no need for schooling and would benefit more from
learning a trade. Some forms of severe dyslexia can sometimes lead to a person becoming illiterate
although this can almost always be evaluated and improved.
WHAT LITERACY IS ALL ABOUT?
The definition of literacy and a literate person is vast according to UNESCO. A literate person is one,
who can, with understanding, both read and write a short statement relevant to routine life, and
capable of analytical understanding of mens condition in the world. Literacy is a means of personal
liberation and development and delivering individuals educational efforts. Literacy is a method of
achieving faculties to develop their economic status and general well being and inculcating values of
national integration, conservation of surroundings, fairer sexs equality, observance of standard family
tradition, etc.
Literacy contributes to peace as it brings people closer to attaining individual freedoms and better
understanding the world, as well as preventing or resolving conflict. The connection between literacy
and peace can be seen by the fact that in unstable democracies or in conflict-affected countries it is
harder to establish or sustain a literate environment.
Education brings sustainability to all the development goals, and literacy is the foundation of all
learning. It provides individuals with the skills to understand the world and shape it, to participate in
democratic processes and have a voice, and also to strengthen their cultural identity.
Why is Literacy important?
Literacy is a human right
It is a tool of personal empowerment and a means for social and human development.
Educational opportunities depend on literacy.
Literacy is at the heart of basic education for all, and essential for eradicating poverty, reducing child mortality, curbing
population growth, achieving gender equality and ensuring sustainable development, peace and democracy.
A good quality basic education equips pupils with literacy skills for life and further learning.
Literate parents are more likely to send their children to school.
Literate people are better able to access continuing educational opportunities
Literate societies are better geared to meet pressing development.
These are some good reasons why literacy is at the core of Education for All (EFA).
Hence literacy is considered as an effective way to enlighten a society and arm it to facing the
challenges of life in a stronger and efficient way, raise the level of personal living, create and assist
change the society.
ALARMING STATISTICS:
Despite many and multifarious efforts, the literacy rate across the world looks alarming. According to
UN analysis there are close to four billion literate people world wide and some 776 million people lack
minimum literacy skills, that mean one in five adults are yet to literate; 75 million children did not
attend school and many more attend irregularly or are drop outs. Almost 35 countries have a literacy
rate of less than 50% and a population of more than 10 million people who are illiterate. 85% percent
of the worlds illiterate population dwells in these countries, and two-thirds are fairer sex.
TOTAL LITERACY REQUIRES COLLECTIVE EFFORTS:
Besides some customary bottlenecks have being observed in some under developed countries like
population blast, lack of proper infrastructure and other factors, the grave backlash of the present
economic crunch has also cut down the pace of the total literacy drive.
According to the UN, it calls for a combine parallel efforts, sufficient resources and endeavor,
strategies, and continued analysis of the developmental work revised political will and for accepting to
do things differently at all levels locally, nationally and trans-nationally.
Several educational programs have been launched by the governments of world to make the people
literate. Ofcourse, such literacy programs have become successful, but still a good section of countrys
population is still non-literate.
INITIATIVES TAKEN BY PAKISTAN ON INTERNATIONAL LITERACY DAY:
International Education and Resource Network Pakistan launched a project by the name A project of
Society for international Education on INTERNATIONAL LITERACY DAY 8
th
September 2008.
They celebrate International Literacy Day by participating in iEARN Online Write On Project. Have
your students develop the art of writing by expressing themselves in writing short essays or stories
and polish their skills by engaging them in reading and responding to real audiences.
Making the entire literate is yet a far fetched goal. National Academy of Young Scientists (NAYS) and Pakistan
Science Foundation (PSF) are trying to work together for the enhancement of literacy rate in the country.
The fact is that without making the entire nation literate we cannot expect any development in
Pakistan. On this special day, let us take an oath to make our country as well as the world literate. It
is possible if we take the very first step ourselves by sparing some time for uneducated people living
around us.

Art is literacy of the heart.
Elliot Eisner

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