By Mark DaCosta- Today, Friday September 8, is International Literacy Day 2023 (ILD2023) in Guyana and around the world. International Literacy Day (ILD) takes place on September 8 every year to raise awareness and concern for literacy problems that exist within our own local communities as well as globally.
International Literacy Day was founded by proclamation of The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in 1966, “to remind the public of the importance of literacy as a matter of dignity and human rights.” International Literacy Day brings ownership of the challenges of illiteracy back home to local communities where literacy begins, one person at a time, UNESCO proclaimed.
ILD2023 is being celebrated worldwide under the theme, ‘Promoting literacy for a world in transition: Building the foundation for sustainable and peaceful societies.’
UNESCO has explained why this theme was chosen for the 2023 observance:
“Rapidly changing global context took a new meaning over the past years, hampering the literacy progress and widening inequalities across world regions, countries, and populations. In low- and middle-income countries, the share of 10-year-old children who could not read and understand a simple text with comprehension has increased from 57 per cent in 2019 to an estimated 70 per cent in 2022,” UNESCO stated.
The United Nations (UN) body attributes the global downturn in literacy rates to the COVID-19 pandemic, local effects of climate change, and the outbreak of political conflicts and instabilities. According to the agency, some 763 million adults still lack basic literacy skills.
Guyana has a relatively high reading literacy rate of 92 percent of the population over age 15. However, despite this high level of reading literacy, significant portions of our country’s population have functional literacy difficulties resulting in a lack of employability and other socio-economic disadvantages. This reality should push government, non-governmental organisations, charitable agencies, faith-based bodies, and other groups to emphasise education as a tool in poverty reduction.
Guyana has a poverty rate of almost 40 percent of the population, and literacy is recognised as being key to a prosperous and happy life.
