| Globally, the International Literacy Day is celebrated | | | | According to the UN, it calls for a combination of |
| on September 08 every year. First proclaimed by | | | | ambitious goals, sufficient and parallel efforts, |
| UNESCO in 1965, the first International Literacy Day | | | | adequate resources and strategies, and continued |
| was celebrated on September 08, 1966. Through this | | | | estimation of the work in progress and renewed |
| Day, UNESCO reminds the global countries of the | | | | political will and for doing things differently at all levels |
| status of literacy and adult learning. | | | | - locally, nationally and internationally - and an |
| The theme for this year's International Literacy Day | | | | understanding of the present economic crisis and |
| is "The Power of Literacy." This means that this year, | | | | continued support to achieve the goal of total literacy |
| the spotlight will be on the empowering role of | | | | around the world. |
| literacy and its importance for participation, citizenship | | | | Literacy in India |
| and social development. Literacy and Empowerment | | | | In India, the literacy rate is still far from being |
| is the theme for the 2009-2010 biennium of the | | | | satisfactory. According to the UN Millennium |
| United Nations Literacy Decade. In January 2002, the | | | | Development Goals Indicators, the literacy rate in the |
| United Nations General Assembly, through a | | | | country is still below the global threshold levels of 75 |
| resolution, proclaimed the ten year period beginning 1 | | | | percent. While there has been a marked |
| January 2003 as the United Nations Literacy Decade. | | | | improvement in literacy in India since independence |
| According to the UN, in declaring the Decade, it aims | | | | thanks to the many efforts by the government and |
| to increase literacy levels and to empower all people | | | | NGOs alike, the progress is however being pulled |
| everywhere and international community recognised | | | | back by the rapid increase in population, poverty, |
| that the promotion of literacy is in the interest of all, | | | | gender discrimination, malnutrition, lack of |
| as part of efforts towards peace, respect and | | | | infrastructural facilities, qualified teachers and the |
| exchange in a globalising world. | | | | most recent economic crisis. |
| Despite many and varied efforts, the literacy figures | | | | Government initiatives and challenges |
| across the world look alarming. According to UN | | | | Among the various initiatives by the government for |
| statistics there are close to four billion literate people | | | | providing education to children and youth, the Sarva |
| in the world today. And some 776 million adults lack | | | | Siksha Abhiyan scheme was envisioned in 2001 with a |
| minimum literacy skills, which mean that one in five | | | | view to ensure that all children in the age group 6-14 |
| adults are still not literate; 75 million children are | | | | years attend school and complete eight years of |
| out-of-school and many more attend irregularly or | | | | schooling by 2010. However, there is a glitch here. |
| drop out. About 35 countries have a literacy rate of | | | | The government's recent promise to enact the Right |
| less than 50% or a population of more than 10 million | | | | of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Bill, |
| people who cannot read nor write. 85% percent of | | | | which seeks to make education a fundamental right |
| the world's non-literate population resides in these | | | | of every child in the age group of six to 14 years, |
| countries, and two-thirds are women and girls. | | | | needs to be amended to also include children |
| What is literacy? | | | | between 0-6 years of age. The reason is poverty. In |
| The definition of literacy and a literate person | | | | many Indian towns and villages, children, by the time |
| according to UNESCO is wide and does not stop to | | | | they reach 6 years of age, the poverty in their |
| mean the ability to read and write only. A literate | | | | families force their parents to send them to petty |
| person is one, who can with understanding both read | | | | jobs instead to schools for primary education! To |
| and write a short simple statement relevant to his | | | | avoid this from happening, the bill in its present |
| everyday life, and capable of critical understanding of | | | | avatar needs to be amended before it is enacted |
| men's situation in the world. Literacy is not an end in | | | | into law. Other programmes by the government |
| itself but a means of personal liberation and | | | | include the adult education programme, and the |
| development and extending individuals educational | | | | district primary education programme. |
| efforts involving overall inter-disciplinary responses to | | | | Another reason for the unhealthy literacy rate in India |
| concrete problems. Literacy is way of acquiring skills | | | | is the increasing percentage of school dropouts, |
| to improve their economic status and general well | | | | particularly at the primary and upper primary levels. |
| being and imbibing values of national integration, | | | | Again, poverty in families is the main reason for this. |
| conservation of environment, women's equality, | | | | To arrest this downward trend in literacy |
| observance of small family norms, etc. | | | | development, the government is running the mid-day |
| Why literacy is important? | | | | meals programme since 1995 to attract children to |
| Literacy is not just about learning, it is an empowered | | | | schools. |
| tool to eradicate poverty and a means for social and | | | | Sustain the literacy initiatives |
| human development. Educational opportunities depend | | | | During this period of global economic slowdown, the |
| on literacy. Literacy is at the heart of basic education | | | | governments and private players have to be cautious |
| for all, and essential for eradicating poverty, reducing | | | | in not to downplay the significance and importance of |
| child mortality, curbing population growth, achieving | | | | literacy programmes in their respective countries. |
| gender equality and ensuring sustainable development, | | | | Continuous funds flow has to be ensured along with |
| peace and democracy. There are good reasons why | | | | efforts to continue the existing programmes and |
| literacy is at the core of Education for All (EFA). A | | | | quicker launching of future initiatives should be |
| good quality basic education equips pupils with literacy | | | | considered. This calls for stringent laws to remove |
| skills for life and further learning; literate parents are | | | | the bottlenecks and help the progress and success |
| more likely to send their children to school; literate | | | | of literacy programmes. |
| people are better able to access continuing | | | | The government has to step up its efforts in the |
| educational opportunities; and literate societies are | | | | implementation of policy decisions for tougher laws to |
| better geared to meet pressing development. | | | | abolish child labour, effective implementation of |
| Hence literacy is seen as an effective way to | | | | compulsory primary education in rural and urban |
| enlighten a society and equip it to facing the | | | | areas, solving infrastructural problems, providing |
| challenges of life in a better way, raise the standard | | | | adequate and continued training to teachers, |
| of personal living, innovate and help change the | | | | introducing and sustaining many practical literacy |
| society. | | | | schemes, hassle-free government support to private |
| Total literacy needs combined efforts | | | | players and NGOs in literacy initiatives, curbing the |
| According to the UN, literacy is a human right and a | | | | commercialisation of education and higher education in |
| cause for celebration. While the world community has | | | | particular, and a unified code of conduct for schools, |
| made rapid progress in the literacy programmes in | | | | academic institutions and colleges and more |
| their respective regions, achieving total literacy is still | | | | importantly the political will to do it. And the |
| an elusive target. Apart from the customary | | | | International Literacy Day on September 08 is just |
| bottlenecks being experienced in some countries like | | | | the perfect day to reiterate our commitment for |
| population growth, infrastructure inadequacies and | | | | total literacy and help people get out of poverty, and |
| other factors, the grim repercussions of the present | | | | malnutrition and provide equal employment |
| economic crisis has also slowed down the progress | | | | opportunities and put the world back on its tracks of |
| of the total literacy drive. | | | | development. |