International Literacy Day 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 Organization, or 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.
WHEN IS INTERNATIONAL LITERACY DAY 2021? The importance of our basic human rights to literacy is celebrated and observed on International Literacy Day on September 8.HISTORY OF INTERNATIONAL LITERACY DAY 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.INTERNATIONAL LITERACY DAY TIMELINE 1965 International Literacy Day is Conceived International literacy is discussed at the World Conference of Ministers of Education on the Eradication of Illiteracy, which is held in Tehran, Iran. 1966 International Literacy Day Comes About UNESCO declares September 8 International Literacy Day “…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.” 1967 First International Literacy Day Governments, schools, and communities around the world participate in activities designed to focus on effective ways to end illiteracy at the local level. 1990 International Literacy Year The critical role of literacy is highlighted at the World Conference on Education for All in Jomtien, Thailand. 2015 The Incheon Declaration The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals are adopted by world leaders at the World Education Forum, held in Incheon, Republic of Korea. 2017 Literacy in a Digital World International Literacy Day turns its focus toward the literacy skills necessary to navigate digital-mediated societies. TRADITIONS OF THE 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. BY THE NUMBERS >40% – the percentage of American third-grade students who read at grade level. 75% – the percentage of children who will struggle to read their whole lives if they fall behind at age nine. 1 in 4 – the number of boys who suffer from some level of dyslexia. 1 in 5 – the number of students who suffer from learning differences. ⅓ – the fraction of America’s struggling readers who belong to college-educated families. 97% – the percentage of the literacy rate among the youth in Algeria. 90% – the percentage of the literacy rate globally for all males. 82.7% – the percentage of literacy rate globally for all females. #1 – Andorra’s ranking in the world in terms of highest literacy. 34.7% – the percentage of illiteracy among people aged 15 and above in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2019.