Like other countries around the globe, Bangladesh will observe the International Literacy Day-2019 on Tuesday (September 8), maintaining the health guidelines amid the COVID -19 pandemic.
This year’s theme of the day is “Literacy teaching and learning in the COVID-19 crisis and beyond with a focus on the role of educators and changing pedagogies”.
Marking the day, State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Md Zakir Hossen, at a press conference, on Sunday highlighted the government initiatives in building a illiteracy-free country, saying that the government is implementing the Basic Literacy Project at 250 selected upazilas in 64 districts across the country to impart literacy knowledge to 45 lakh illiterate people aged between 15 and 45 years.
Under the first phase of the project, 2,369,441 illiterate people have already been imparted the basic literacy knowledge through learning centers at 134 upazilas across the country, he said, adding that programmes are underway to make literate 21 lakh people in the ‘Mujib Barsho’, marking the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
An initiative has been taken to impart education to 10 lakh children, who are out of school, aged between eight and 14 years under the Non-Formal Education System under the Fourth Primary Education Development Program (PEDP-4), the state minister said.
Besides, a project titled ‘Non-Formal Education Development Programme (NFEDP)’ has been formulated as Sector Wide Approach Programme (SWAP) aiming at achieving the targets set in the 7th Five Year Plan and SDG-4, Zakir added. The 8th of September was proclaimed International Literacy Day by the UNESCO in 1966 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.
The issue of literacy is a key component of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
