WORLD Book Day is observed annually by countries all across the globe to focus attention on the importance of reading. The day was first observed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and is a celebration to promote the enjoyment of books and reading. Each year on April 23, celebrations take place all over the world to recognise the importance and scope of books.

Books are that link between the past and present. It is the storehouse of knowledge and a bridge across generations and cultures.

World Book and Copyright Day is aimed at developing the habit of reading for pleasure among all from early childhood and to inspire more people not only to read and write books, but also to have these published. Every life is a story in its own right, but sadly, a great number of these stories are lost to society because of the inadequacy of writing skills and high publishing costs.

The importance of books and reading cannot be overemphasised. The theme for this year’s celebrations is ‘Read: so you never feel alone.’ Not being able to read can indeed be lonely and depressing. It is difficult to imagine someone walking the streets in Georgetown and unable to read and understand the meaning of written words or even worse, of picking up a book or newspaper and unable to fathom the joys and fascination that lie beneath the written words.

And yet there is nothing more natural than that of trying to understand and come to terms with the wonders of life than through reading and writing. Albert Einstein, the outstanding scientific genius, once said that the only thing you need to know is the location of the library. Regrettably, with the increase in online learning and social media, public libraries are now becoming something of the past. Yet there can be no substitute for reading a good book.

April 23 is also a significant date, as it marks the date when several prominent writers passed away, including the English writer William Shakespeare, Spanish Miguel de Cervantes, El Inca Garcilaso de la Vega and William Wordsworth, among others.

It is also a day to celebrate the several publishers and those who are the holders of copyrights for written works. These are all worthy of celebration, especially at this time when attempts are made to steal other people’s work by way of plagiarism or wholesale copying from the works of others and copyright infringements.

In Guyana, the day was observed with the Ministry of Education launching a National Literacy Department at a Reading Affair and Literacy Clinic at the new Central High School, Georgetown.

According to Education Minister Priya Manickchand, illiteracy is not just a national problem, but also a global issue. The problem has been further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in the closure of schools for over two years.

The Ministry of Education must be commended for the establishment of a National Literacy Department and Literacy Clinic. This is indeed a positive step in advancing literacy in Guyana which, relatively speaking, compares favourably with other countries in the region. According to UNESCO statistics, roughly 773 million people cannot read or identify basic letters.

The National Literacy Centre established by the Ministry of Education is a forward-looking step that would ensure that students read at their maturational stage of development and at a pace that is aligned to their age. This initiative is consistent with the overarching goal of the PPP/C administration to provide quality education to the full cohort of the school population. At the commencement of the new school term, Minister Manickchand spoke on the need for an ‘assault’ on illiteracy and the need for every child  to undergo a ‘literacy diagnosis’ in the four core subjects, namely, English, Mathematics, Social Studies and  Science.