Following the usual calendar, International Literacy Day has appeared again before us to make us conscious and consider our progress since we observed it last year (2024).
The world knows that UNESCO was established on this International Literacy Day in 1966 to raise awareness about the essential role of literacy for individuals, communities, and societies, meaning the darkness of illiteracy must be dispelled by individual, social, state and global efforts.
It also means observing the International Literacy Day at the behest or call of the state, only as a ceremonial event that does not reflect its true objective. It is also true that the global literacy rate has improved in recent decades. However, millions of adults and children worldwide still lack fundamental reading and writing skills, as the world shows more interest in destructive activities like war and weapons.
International Literacy Day began following recommendations at the 1965 World Conference of Ministers of Education on the Eradication of Illiteracy held in Tehran, Iran. Still, the observance was officially proclaimed in 1966, but the practical celebration happened in 1967.
Today’s literacy is not just the ability to read and write; it’s the gateway to independent thought, informed decision-making, social connection, and personal growth. It also means that literacy is a basic human right and a core driver for social and economic development, gender equality, and democratic participation.
This year’s slogan of the International Literacy Day is ‘Promoting Literacy in the Digital Era’ further adding its connection and development with the current development of the globe. It calls to draw the attention of the governments, organisations, and individuals to continue promoting literacy as a fundamental human right and a key component of lifelong learning.
When the questions of fundamental human rights, democratic participation and establishing peace arise, the global unrest, autocracy, and deprivation of human rights remind us how far we have achieved these phenomena despite improving the literacy situation.
Of course, the International Literacy Day has evolved to address changing literacy challenges, from basic reading and writing skills to more complex digital literacy issues in the modern age. According to recent UNESCO data, although the global adult literacy rate is over 86%, more than 750 million adults remain non-literate, two-thirds women, and many children complete school without acquiring essential literacy skills.
Being literate enables individuals to claim their rights, participate meaningfully in society, overcome social and economic challenges, and contribute to a peaceful world. Literacy and quality education must go hand in hand. Again, literacy and humanity go hand in hand. If literacy leads to education and cannot develop humanity and fellow feelings, what’s necessary to improve literacy?
The world witnesses cruelty in its extreme form in Gaza by the barbarians of Israel over the children, the elderly, and all the people, demolishing their hospitals, keeping them hungry and when extreme hunger brings them to stand in line to take some food, they are killed. Are these killers not literate? They are literate than the traditional form of literacy.
Should we observe the day to promote such a type of literacy? Is it education, anyway? It is not education either. Where has humanity disappeared? When this is the world scene, what is the necessity of observing the International Literacy Day? What is the necessity of establishing universities, the so-called highest seats of learning, when no humans come forward to stop the cruelty of Israel?
When such a type of literacy miserably fails to raise even an iota of fellow-feeling for humans? Literacy is said to be a unique and powerful tool to eradicate poverty and a strong means for social and human progress. Is it the progress we see in the Middle East and many other parts of the globe? The enduring power of the world’s people to witness human cruelty has become blunt.
Celebrating International Literacy Day is a brilliant way to raise awareness of the value of literacy and encourage children and adults alike to develop their literacy skills. On a personal level, individuals can contribute by volunteering at local literacy programs, donating books to underprivileged communities, or simply setting aside time to read with family members or friends.
They can organise a book exchange event in their community or workplace and host a multilingual storytelling session to celebrate linguistic diversity. What does a state effort contribute to removing the darkness of ignorance and spreading the message of literacy, keeping pace with the needs of modern times?
Our observation and experience show that state efforts mostly remain ceremonial and showy rather than have a real impact. It has significant buildings, big infrastructure, and an unnecessary fleet of officials and staff, but the fundamental objective of achieving anything remains far too distant. The BNFE, a government white elephant, is being nurtured in the country at the cost of taxpayers’ money, but its production is near zero.
However, look at the individual efforts and NGOs’ attempts that really contribute to touching and reaching the real needy people. Here, literacy means achieving something with quality. BRAC run pre-primary and primary schools that serve the poor community, teach the poor children necessary skills, and harmoniously develop necessary cultural aspects that make the children confident and fit for this century.
Look at government primary and high schools that enjoy full government facilities but produce the poorest quality students in terms of academic, social and cultural skills.
Literacy empowers individuals, builds stronger communities, and lays the foundation for a peaceful, inclusive world. All these are presumed aims, but a considerable gap exists between the aims and the achieved stage. How to bridge the gaps already developed and what steps should be taken should be on the discussion table.
Another concluding point must be thought out when we talk about literacy. Literacy makes us familiar with the greater world of knowledge, wisdom, humanity, science and technology, leading to the digital world and the current tormenting topic of AI. All these emanate from literacy, so we could think more about this International Literacy Day.
First, become literate and then go ahead. Another essential fact peeps through our mind, whether the noble aims of literacy are giving peace and prosperity to the world and its inhabitants? We see that all the world’s people who are at the helm of affairs, all the people who reign the world and dominate the world, the people who directly or indirectly create conflict in the entire globe, are highly literate.
This is equally true at the national level as well. The influential people accumulate vast wealth outside the country, cheating the country and its people, who are a significant part of the highly literate class.
All their critical knowledge and exercise exert negative results. On the other hand, illiterate people live closer to nature and genuinely exhibit simple, natural and unharmful behaviour, attitude, work and benevolent mind. These facts once again press us to think ‘Should not we further define the definition of ‘literacy’?
About the Author
Masum Billah works as a President of the English Teachers' Association of Bangladesh (ETAB), Dhaka, Bangladesh. He previously worked as an Education Specialist at BRAC, an international NGO in Bangladesh.