M. A. Jabbar :
Fifty years ago, UNESCO officially declared 8 September as International Literacy Day. Since then, every year the day is observed globally bringing together governments, multi and bilateral organizations, policy-makers, NGOs, private sector, communities, teachers, learners and experts in the field. This year, the day will be observed under the banner “Reading the past, writing the future. The theme is very important and relevant to socio-eoconomic scenario of the countries globally. The day is an opportunity to mobilize the international community and to promote literacy as a tool to empower individuals, communities, and societies. Various activities have already been chaked out and will be implemented globally, which includes among others, awarding international literacy prizes to people with outstanding performamce for achieveing the objectives of the international literacy day.
As literacy is an important indicator of human resources development, it is incorporated in the Sustainable Development Goals agenda- 4, which aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote life-long learning opportunites for all. This year’s International Literacy Day therefore, carries added importance with its first year of implementation of the 2030 agenda with the vision of life-long learning opportuniteis with special focus on youth and adults.World scenario of literacy data of 2011 reveals that 87% of female youth had basic literacy skills compared to 92% of males. Overall more than half of countries have youth literacy rates of 95% or higher. This gain cannot cast a shining picture as 774 million adults (15 years and older) still cannot read or write, two thirds of them numbering around 493 million are women. of the youth, 123 million are illiterate of which 76 million are female. Even though the size of the global illiterate population is shrinking, the female proportion has remained virtually steady at 63% to 64%. The UNESCO’s Global Monitoring Report on Education for All (2006) shows that south and west Asia has the lowest regional adult literacy rate(54.6%), followed by sub-Saharan African(59.5%) and the Arab States (62.7%). Countries with the lowest literacy rates in the world are Burkina faso(12.8%), Niger (14.4%), Mali(19%). The report shows a clear connection between illiteracy and countries with severe poverty and between literacy and prejudice against women.
On the observance of the day, UNESCO Director-General’s saying – to provide every women and man with the skills, capacities and opportunities to become everything they wish in dignity and respect is very important as the fact is that literacy is the foundation for building a sustainable future for everybody.
Bangladesh with a surface area of 147570 square kilometers (56,977 square miles) is the eighth most populous country in the world having an average of 964.42 people for every square kilometer of land. Our population is likely to be nearly 200 million by 2020 with 40 percent under the age of 15 years of age. The number is likely to be 220 million by 2050. In such scenario, the importance of mass education has become as a priority issue and cannot be left aside to save people from the curse of illiteracy. It cannot be denied that with the appreciable achievement in the Millennium Development Goals, our country is working to achieve SDS literacy agenda 2030.
The country has already achieved MDG targets in the filed of primary and secondary education, reduction in many aspects of women’s empowerment and gender disparity, removing hunger and environmental sustainability, reduction of maternal, infant and child mortality etc. The country also has made progress towards increasing equitable access in education (Net Enrolment Rate: 98.7 percent; girls 99.4 percent, boys: 97.2 percent), reduction of dropouts, improvement in completion of the cycle, and implementation of a number of quality enhancement measures in primary education. Nevertheless, we have to go a long way as we have obstacles to eradicate illiteracy. Some of people are physically and mentally retarded. Enrollment in primary education is beset with many obstacles like poverty, gender, environmental factors, school distance, parent’s attitude etc. Some parts of the country like hoar and char areas are lagging behind the national rate. Many areas remain under water during flood and rainy season. Environmental factors and natural calamities act as obstacles for some parts of the country. Yet these should not stand on our journey towards mass education. With the united efforts of all- NGOs, social workers and philanthropic institutions and individuals and working with the government we can address the problem.
We want peace and tranquility. We hate the unfortunate occurance of Gulshan and Solakia or all kinds of terrorist activities. Ours is a peace loving country and the people are inherited peace from time immemorial and have been living with communal harmony. Therefore, any kind of violence is not relevant to socio-economic culture and heritage of our beloved Bangladesh and its people. Our peace-loving people are united to thwart all sorts of terrorist activites.
The way the government is takling the situation and the unity that formed among the mass-people have drawn the global attention with great appreciation. Our youth-force, students, mass-people are united to stand against all kinds of odds and obstacles.The unique unity that created among all-strata of our people against terrorism is worth example for outside the world. International literacy day is an opportunity to work for mass-literacy that can eradicate all sorts of odds and violences from the society. We can utilize the day to create awareness against terrorism and to eradicate drug and dowry and child-marriage. With the united efforts of all, we can achieve the goals.
Fifty years ago, UNESCO officially declared 8 September as International Literacy Day. Since then, every year the day is observed globally bringing together governments, multi and bilateral organizations, policy-makers, NGOs, private sector, communities, teachers, learners and experts in the field. This year, the day will be observed under the banner “Reading the past, writing the future. The theme is very important and relevant to socio-eoconomic scenario of the countries globally. The day is an opportunity to mobilize the international community and to promote literacy as a tool to empower individuals, communities, and societies. Various activities have already been chaked out and will be implemented globally, which includes among others, awarding international literacy prizes to people with outstanding performamce for achieveing the objectives of the international literacy day.
As literacy is an important indicator of human resources development, it is incorporated in the Sustainable Development Goals agenda- 4, which aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote life-long learning opportunites for all. This year’s International Literacy Day therefore, carries added importance with its first year of implementation of the 2030 agenda with the vision of life-long learning opportuniteis with special focus on youth and adults.World scenario of literacy data of 2011 reveals that 87% of female youth had basic literacy skills compared to 92% of males. Overall more than half of countries have youth literacy rates of 95% or higher. This gain cannot cast a shining picture as 774 million adults (15 years and older) still cannot read or write, two thirds of them numbering around 493 million are women. of the youth, 123 million are illiterate of which 76 million are female. Even though the size of the global illiterate population is shrinking, the female proportion has remained virtually steady at 63% to 64%. The UNESCO’s Global Monitoring Report on Education for All (2006) shows that south and west Asia has the lowest regional adult literacy rate(54.6%), followed by sub-Saharan African(59.5%) and the Arab States (62.7%). Countries with the lowest literacy rates in the world are Burkina faso(12.8%), Niger (14.4%), Mali(19%). The report shows a clear connection between illiteracy and countries with severe poverty and between literacy and prejudice against women.
On the observance of the day, UNESCO Director-General’s saying – to provide every women and man with the skills, capacities and opportunities to become everything they wish in dignity and respect is very important as the fact is that literacy is the foundation for building a sustainable future for everybody.
Bangladesh with a surface area of 147570 square kilometers (56,977 square miles) is the eighth most populous country in the world having an average of 964.42 people for every square kilometer of land. Our population is likely to be nearly 200 million by 2020 with 40 percent under the age of 15 years of age. The number is likely to be 220 million by 2050. In such scenario, the importance of mass education has become as a priority issue and cannot be left aside to save people from the curse of illiteracy. It cannot be denied that with the appreciable achievement in the Millennium Development Goals, our country is working to achieve SDS literacy agenda 2030.
The country has already achieved MDG targets in the filed of primary and secondary education, reduction in many aspects of women’s empowerment and gender disparity, removing hunger and environmental sustainability, reduction of maternal, infant and child mortality etc. The country also has made progress towards increasing equitable access in education (Net Enrolment Rate: 98.7 percent; girls 99.4 percent, boys: 97.2 percent), reduction of dropouts, improvement in completion of the cycle, and implementation of a number of quality enhancement measures in primary education. Nevertheless, we have to go a long way as we have obstacles to eradicate illiteracy. Some of people are physically and mentally retarded. Enrollment in primary education is beset with many obstacles like poverty, gender, environmental factors, school distance, parent’s attitude etc. Some parts of the country like hoar and char areas are lagging behind the national rate. Many areas remain under water during flood and rainy season. Environmental factors and natural calamities act as obstacles for some parts of the country. Yet these should not stand on our journey towards mass education. With the united efforts of all- NGOs, social workers and philanthropic institutions and individuals and working with the government we can address the problem.
We want peace and tranquility. We hate the unfortunate occurance of Gulshan and Solakia or all kinds of terrorist activities. Ours is a peace loving country and the people are inherited peace from time immemorial and have been living with communal harmony. Therefore, any kind of violence is not relevant to socio-economic culture and heritage of our beloved Bangladesh and its people. Our peace-loving people are united to thwart all sorts of terrorist activites.
The way the government is takling the situation and the unity that formed among the mass-people have drawn the global attention with great appreciation. Our youth-force, students, mass-people are united to stand against all kinds of odds and obstacles.The unique unity that created among all-strata of our people against terrorism is worth example for outside the world. International literacy day is an opportunity to work for mass-literacy that can eradicate all sorts of odds and violences from the society. We can utilize the day to create awareness against terrorism and to eradicate drug and dowry and child-marriage. With the united efforts of all, we can achieve the goals.
(M.A. Jabbar is a banker and executive secretary of ADHUNIK, national anti-tobacco organization of Bangladesh.)
