Since 1967, International Literacy Day (ILD) celebrations have taken place annually around the world to remind the public of the importance of literacy as a matter of dignity and human rights, and to advance the literacy agenda towards a more literate and sustainable society. Despite progress made, literacy challenges persist with at least 773 million young people and adults lacking basic literacy skills today.
International Literacy Day (ILD) 2021 will be celebrated under the theme “Literacy for a human-centred 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. Youth and adult literacy were absent in many initial national response plans, while numerous literacy programmes have been forced to halt their usual modes of operation.
Even in the times of global crisis, efforts have been made to find alternative ways to ensure the continuity of learning, including distance learning, often in combination with in-person learning. Access to literacy learning opportunities, however, has not been evenly distributed. The rapid shift to distance learning also highlighted the persistent digital divide in terms of connectivity, infrastructure, and the ability to engage with technology, as well as disparities in other services such as access to electricity, which has limited learning options.
The pandemic, however, was a reminder of the critical importance of literacy. Beyond its intrinsic importance as part of the right to education, literacy empowers individuals and improves their lives by expanding their capabilities to choose a kind of life they can value. It is also a driver for sustainable development. Literacy is an integral part of education and lifelong learning premised on humanism as defined by the Sustainable Development Goal 4. Literacy, therefore, is central to a human-centred recovery from the COVID-19 crisis.
ILD 2021 will explore how literacy can contribute to building a solid foundation for a human-centred recovery, with a special focus on the interplay of literacy and digital skills required by non-literate youth and adults. It will also explore what makes technology-enabled literacy learning inclusive and meaningful to leave no one behind. By doing so, ILD2021 will be an opportunity to re imagine future literacy teaching and learning, within and beyond the context of the pandemic.
Although much progress has been made in improving literacy rates in the more than fifty years since the first International Literacy Day, illiteracy remains a global problem. There are thought to be more than 750 million adults around the world who cannot read. The scourge of Illiteracy spares no nation or culture on earth, including the United States, where an estimated 32 million American adults are illiterate.
What exactly is literacy? Miriam-Webster Dictionary defines literacy as “the quality or state of being literate: educated…able to read and write.” Because you are able to read this post and no doubt spend a lot of time reading online, it may seem incredulous to learn there are people living and working in your own community who not only cannot read this post, but are unable to read a book, a restaurant menu, a road sign, a voting ballot, an instruction manual, a prescription bottle label, or a cereal box.
Can you imagine navigating modern-day life without the basic ability to read and write? Wiping out illiteracy in every local community around the world is what International Literacy Day is all about.
International Literacy Day was first conceived at the “World Conference of Ministers of Education on the Eradication of Illiteracy” held in Tehran, Iran in 1965. The following year UNESCO took the lead and declared September 8 as International Literacy Day, with the primary purpose being “…to remind the international community of the importance of literacy for individuals, communities and societies, and the need for intensified efforts towards more literate societies.” One year later, the global community accepted the challenge of ending illiteracy by participating in the first International Literacy Day.
Literacy is a blessing often taken for granted. Reading is essential in our daily lives. Navigating through the world without being able to read or write is challenging and is a blockade for experiencing so many things.
On International Literacy Day, organizations and individuals take charge and use their literacy to encourage and assist those who are facing difficulties on how to read and write. Students and employed people volunteer to tutor children in the community, books are generously donated to libraries, and a student’s tuition and learning are sponsored to launch their life-long success.
Institutions and government- and international organizations campaign for literacy at the grassroots level, as well as host think tanks and discussion forums to strategize and implement the best policies for the eradication of illiteracy. They also host fundraisers for the cause. A theme is set for International Literacy Day every year, which is used as a way to build awareness around specific issues.
Elementary school classroom libraries always need fresh reading material to keep young students interested in reading. Ask your child’s teachers for a wish list of books they know students will enjoy and donate them to the class. If you don’t have a child in school, ask coworkers, relatives or neighbors about donating to their children’s classroom libraries. You will be their hero on International Literacy Day.
Children are naturally curious about the world around them. Reading satisfies their desire to learn and stirs the imagination. Books are much appreciated gifts for birthdays, holidays, or for no reason at all other than to say, “I was thinking about you.” And isn’t International Literacy Day the perfect day to say “I was thinking about you” by giving a book to each of the children in your life? Don’t forget that adults appreciate receiving books as gifts, too.
Gather family, friends, or neighbors together today and start a small lending library in your neighborhood. In 2009, Todd Bol of Hudson, Wisconsin started the first “Free Little Library” to make book sharing easily accessible and available anytime for people in his community. His concept of “take a book, return a book” is based on the honor system. We love that these little libraries are accessible 24/7 and there are never any late fees or fines.
Studies show that giving the brain a daily workout reading, writing and working with numbers keeps brain cells healthy as we age, reducing the chances of developing Alzheimer’s and dementia later in life.
The lack of literary skills limits social engagement at all age levels and prevents adults and children from being able to participate fully and contribute to the betterment of society.
Learning to read and write improves our ability to communicate effectively with others by enhancing oral language, allowing us to express our feelings, thoughts, and ideas with others more clearly.
Knowing how to read, write and work with numbers are critical skills for jobs with opportunities to advance up the social-economic ladder. Literacy breaks the cycle of poverty, one life at a time.
Literacy is the key to personal empowerment and gives us personal dignity and self-worth. International Literacy Day falls in one of the first weeks back at school in September, so it's a great opportunity for a whole range of literacy tasks and to celebrate reading and writing, and we have teacher-made resources already prepared for you to use.
