Today one in five adults is still not literate and two-thirds of them are women while 75 million children are out of school.Since its foundation in 1946, UNESCO has been at the forefront of global literacy efforts and is dedicated to keeping literacy high on national, regional and international agendas. However, with some 776 million adults lacking minimum literacy skills, literacy for all remains an elusive target.
UNESCO’s literacy programmes aim to create a literate world and promote literacy for all.
Why is literacy important?
Literacy is a human right, a tool of personal empowerment and a means for social and human development. Educational opportunities depend on literacy.
Literacy is at the heart of basic education for all, and essential for eradicating poverty, reducing child mortality, curbing population growth, achieving gender equality and ensuring sustainable development, peace and democracy. There are good reasons why literacy is at the core of Education for All (EFA).
A good quality basic education equips pupils with literacy skills for life and further learning; literate parents are more likely to send their children to school; literate people are better able to access continuing educational opportunities; and literate societies are better geared to meet pressing development .
Now, just compare how these students go to school in Japan and in India and imagine their learning environments, schools, school material,...
How easy it is for some, and how hard it can be for many, many others! Some have it all and others lack everything... still such deep contrasts / gaps between the haves and the have nots in the 21st century.
What about yourself? How do you go to school? Is it comparable to any of these means? How important is it to attend school (kids + youngsters + adults) ???
