International Literacy Day 2021: Relevance, history and themes across the world
Islamic countries with excellent literacy level
International Literacy Day is celebrated annually on September 8 to highlight the importance of literacy as a matter of dignity and human rights.
Literacy challenges persist with at least 773 million youngsters and adults lacking basic literacy skills.
Meanwhile, 617 million children and adolescents have not achieved a basic proficiency level in reading and writing.
History
World Literacy Day has been celebrated since 1967 as a reminder of the significance of literacy as a basic human right and to advance the literacy agenda towards a more literate and sustainable society.
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Key component
Literacy is a key component of the United Nation's Sustainable Goals and the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Disruption due to pandemic
The learning of children had been disrupted due to the coronavirus pandemic at an unprecedented scale. Out of 1.09 billion,62.3 per cent of the world's total student populationsuffered in itsinitial stage.
The pre-existing inequalities in access to meaningful literacy learning opportunities have been magnified by the COVID-19 crisis.
The persistent digital divide infrastructure, connectivity was highlighted amid the rapid shift to distance learning amid the lockdowns all across the world during the pandemic.
Theme for International Literacy Day 2021
The theme of International Literacy Day 2021, is “Literacy for a human-centred recovery: Narrowing the digital divide.”
Exploring the contribution of literacy towards building a foundation, International Literacy Day 2021 will focus on the interplay of literacy and digital skills required by both non-literate youngsters and adults.
It will analyse what makes literacy enabled by technology inclusive and meaningful without discrimination and leaving anybody behind.