ALL over the world, September 8 (yesterday) is celebrated as International Literacy Day. Wikipedia, the Online encyclopaedia, defines literacy as “The ability to read and write one’s own name and, further, for knowledge and interest, write coherently and think critically about the written word.”

It has been more than 40 years since the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has been celebrating International Literacy Day by reminding the international community that literacy is a human right, and the foundation of all learning.
Supporting the case of evolving literacy, UNESCO notes on its website that, over the years, the notion of literacy has evolved. The conventional concept that is limited to reading, writing and numeracy skills is still in wide use, as well as the notion of functional literacy, which links literacy with socio-economic development.
The website states, though, that “the conventional concept limited to reading, writing and numeracy skills is still in wide use, as well as the notion of functional literacy, which links literacy with socio-economic development…other ways of understanding ‘literacy’ or ‘literacies’ have emerged to address the diverse learning needs of individuals in knowledge-oriented and globalised societies.”
This year’s International Literacy Day is dedicated to “literacies for the 21st Century” to highlight the need to realise “basic literacy skills for all”, as well as equip everyone with more advanced literacy skills as part of life-long learning.
Why do people need literacy skills? How is literacy shaped by culture, history, language, religion, and socio-economic conditions? What are the impacts of technological advancement on literacy? Is it possible to determine, in a diverse world, a minimum set of basic literacy skills?
UNESCO regards literacy as much more than an educational priority: “It is the ultimate investment in the future, and the first step towards all the new forms of literacy required in the 21st Century”.
This reflects widespread and deep changes that have taken place in technology and in the organisation of work over the past quarter century.
The ability to use and apply key mathematics and science concepts is now necessary across a wide range of occupations. In a technological society, the concept of literacy is expanding to include the media and electronic text, in addition to alphabetic and number systems.
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 is 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 needs.
Possession of strong literacy skills is closely linked to the probability of having a good job, decent earnings, and access to training opportunities. Individuals with weak literacy skills are more likely to be unemployed; or, if employed, to be in jobs that pay little, or that offer poor hours or working conditions.
A population’s literacy skills also influence how well a country performs economically. The world we live in today is vastly different from that of a generation ago. Technological change has transformed the way in which work is done. Countries that are successful in endowing their populations with strong skills are usually in a better position to meet the economic challenges of operating in a globalised information economy.
As Wikipedia states, many policy analysts consider literacy rates as a crucial measure of the value of a region’s human capital. For example, literate people can easily be trained, unlike illiterate people; and generally have a higher socio-economic status; thus they enjoy better health and employment prospects.
Literacy increases job opportunities and access to higher education.
Finally, having a population that has strong literacy skills also places a country in a better position to meet the complex social challenges that it faces. For example, strong literacy skills are linked to better health outcomes for individuals. The example of Kerala, India, is given: female and child mortality rates declined dramatically in the 1960s, when girls schooled according to the education reforms after 1948 began to raise families.
Irina Bokova, UNESCO Director-General, says: “Literacy is much more than an educational priority; it is the ultimate investment in the future, and the first step towards all the new forms of literacy required in the 21st century.
“We wish to see a century where every child is able to read and to use this skill to gain autonomy.”