Last updated on February 16th, 2023 at 01:05 am
World literacy day speech: Every year on September 8, World Literacy Day is observed to bring attention to and concern for literacy issues that exist both locally and globally. The UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), established International Literacy Day in 1966 “to remind the public of the importance of literacy as an issue of dignity and human rights.” On International Literacy Day, local communities—where literacy starts, one individual at a time—take responsibility for the problems of illiteracy. Utilize tools like Scholaroo, a website that lists scholarships from all over the world, to observe this day.
- In 1966, UNESCO declared September 8th to be “World Literacy Day.”
- Its main motive is to emphasize the need for more efforts toward more educated cultures and to remind the global community of the value of literacy for individuals, communities, and society.
- Through the Literacy Prizes, UNESCO has honored innovation and distinction in the field of literacy since 1967.
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Table of Contents
World literacy day- Theme
The celebration of World Literacy Day this year will centre on “Transforming Literacy Learning Spaces.” The theme offers “a chance to reconsider the basic significance of literate learning environments to foster resilience and provide high-quality, equitable, and inclusive education for everyone.”
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World literacy day- History
Since the first World Literacy Day more than fifty years ago, significant advancements have been made in raising literacy rates, but the problem of illiteracy still exists on a global scale. Over 750 million adults are believed to be illiterate worldwide. No country or culture on earth is immune to the disease of illiteracy, including the United States, where 32 million adult Americans are considered to be illiterate.
In an effort to address the global problem of illiteracy, UNESCO declared 8 September as World Literacy Day on October 26th, 1966. In addition to eradicating illiteracy, the goal was to encourage literacy as a tool for community empowerment on a larger scale. This will provide work possibilities and enhance the lives of numerous individuals all around the world. The World Conference of Ministers of Education on the elimination of Illiteracy, which took place in Tehran in 1965, is when the concept of an International Literacy Day was first developed. 2015 saw the adoption of this day as a component of the UN’s agenda for achieving the SDGs.
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Importance of World literacy day
UNESCO has played a crucial role in advancing literacy globally, and as a result, it supports International Literacy Day in collaboration with governments, nonprofit organisations, local communities, and specialists in the area worldwide. . Every year, the organization adopts a different subject to bring awareness to literacy in all of its forms in a world that is changing. Without literacy, we can’t possibly change the world or even better ourselves.
Literacy is the best treatment, according to UNESCO, and is the basis for everyone’s right to an education. Additionally, as we are all aware, boosting literacy rates is a crucial component of UNESCO’s sustainable development goals, which mobilize efforts to end poverty and inequities globally.The International Literacy Awards, which are significant awards honouring quality and creativity in submissions on the 2018 theme of “Literacy and skills development,” are also announced by UNESCO.This will deepen the significance of the day and encourage awareness of the relevance of literacy and adult education.
World literacy day- Important facts
- The UNESCO established the International Literacy Day on November 7 of 1965.
- The first commemoration took place on September 8 of 1966.
- Around 84 percent of the world’s population is literate, according to UNESCO estimates.
- Right now, 250 million kids worldwide struggle with reading and writing.
- Burkina Faso (12.8%), Niger (14.4%), and Mali (19%) have the lowest rates of literacy, according to UNESCO’s “Global Monitoring Report on Education for All Countries” report.
- 2015’s International Literacy Day is dedicated to promoting literacy in sustainable societies.
- Ten nations—India, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Egypt, Brazil, Indonesia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo—accommodate 775 million adult illiterate people worldwide.
- One in five adults, 75 million children, and many more who attend school infrequently or drop out are illiterate, according to a study by the United Nations.
- The International Literacy Day was established by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), which is also in charge of selecting a jury to present the International Literacy Prizes in Paris, France.
FAQs on World literacy day
This day is observed in order to raise awareness of literacy among people and to inform them of their legal entitlements to social and personal development.
World Literacy Day is not a public holiday; it is an international commemoration.
The main causes of illiteracy, according to UNESCO’s “Global Monitoring Report on Education for All (2006),” are extreme poverty and discrimination against women.
World Literacy Day was established in 1967 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
The theme of this year’s International Literacy Day, “Transforming Literacy Learning Spaces,” will be observed across the globe. This will be a chance to reconsider the fundamental significance of literacy learning spaces in order to foster resilience and guarantee high-quality, equitable, and inclusive education for all.
