International Literacy Day is an annual international celebration announced by UNESCO on October 26, 1966, at the 14th session of UNESCO's General Conference. For the first time, it was observed in 1967. Its goal is to emphasize the value of literacy to individuals, communities, and societies. There are celebrations in numerous nations.
1. What is the Date of International Literacy Day?
Every year on September 8, International Literacy Day is observed to raise awareness and concern for literacy issues that exist both locally and globally. The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, or UNESCO, established International Literacy Day in 1966 "to remind the public of the importance of literacy as an issue of dignity and human rights." International Literacy Day returns ownership of illiteracy concerns to local communities, where literacy begins one individual at a time.
2. International Literacy Day History
Despite significant progress in raising literacy rates in the more than fifty years since the first International Literacy Day, illiteracy remains a global issue. It is estimated that about 750 million adults worldwide are illiterate. The problem of illiteracy affects every nation and culture on the planet, including the United States, where an estimated 32 million adults are illiterate.
What is literacy, exactly? Literacy is defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as "the quality or state of being literate: educated...able to read and write." Because you can read this post and, no doubt, spend a lot of time reading online, it may come as a surprise to learn that there are people in your own community who are unable to read a book, a restaurant menu, a road sign, a voting ballot, an instruction manual, a prescription bottle label, or a cereal box.
Can you imagine trying to navigate modern life without the ability to read and write? International Literacy Day is all about eliminating illiteracy in every local community around the world.
The idea for International Literacy Day came from the 1965 "World Conference of Ministers of Education on the Eradication of Illiteracy" in Tehran, Iran. The following year, UNESCO took the initiative and designated September 8 as International Literacy Day, with the primary goal of "...reminding the international community of the importance of literacy for individuals, communities, and societies, and the need for increased efforts toward more literate societies." One year later, the world accepted the challenge of eradicating illiteracy by commemorating the first International Literacy Day.
3. International Literacy Day Activities
Donate books to local schools.
Fresh reading material is always needed in elementary school classroom libraries to keep young kids engaged in reading. Request a wish list of books that your child's teachers believe his or her students would appreciate and contribute them to the class. If you don't have a child in school, inquire with coworkers, family, or neighbors about making a donation to their children's classroom libraries. On International Literacy Day, you will be their hero.
Book as a present
Children are inherently curious about their surroundings. Reading feeds their drive to learn while also stimulating their imagination. Books make excellent gifts for birthdays, holidays, or just because you want to say, "I was thinking about you." Isn't International Literacy Day the perfect day to express "I was thinking about you" by giving a book to every youngster in your life? Don't forget that grownups enjoy receiving books as gifts as well.
Create a lending library in your town.
Today, gather your family, friends, or neighbors and start a small lending library in your neighborhood. Todd Bol of Hudson, Wisconsin, established the first "Free Little Library" in 2009 to make book sharing more accessible and available to individuals in his town at all times. His "take a book, return a book" philosophy is based on the honor system. We enjoy that these mini libraries are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with no late fees or fines.
4. International Literacy Day Facts
- Literacy is a component of education and is a human right.
- International Literacy Day is not an official holiday in the United States.
- Every year on September 8th, International Literacy Day is observed. It was discovered on September 8th, 1967. This year celebrates the 52nd anniversary of UNESCO's International Literacy Day on September 8th. "Literacy and Skills Development" was the topic of International Literacy Day 2018.
- This year's International Conference will look at how to build effective links between literacy and technical and vocational skills in policies, practice, systems, and governance.
- The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) established International Literacy Day and appointed a panel to award International Literacy Prizes in Paris, France.
- Despite a steady improvement in literacy rates over the last 50 years, there are still 750 million illiterate individuals worldwide, the majority of whom are women, according to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS). And one out of every five children is not enrolled in school. That equates to 263 million children and adolescents aged 6 to 17.
- The UNESCO logo is a sketch of a temple with the "UNESCO" acronym beneath the temple's roof and on top of the building's foundation. This logo is frequently used in International Literacy Day advertising materials.
5. International Literacy Day Poem
“When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile,but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit
Rest if you must,but don't quit.
Life is strange with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many fellow turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out.
Don't give up though the pace seems slow
You may succeed with another blow.
Often the goal is nearer than
It seems to be a fair and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victor's cup,
And he learned too late when night came down,
How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out out
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems afar,
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit,
It's when things seem worse that you mustn't quit.”
AUTHOR UNKNOWN
6. International Literacy Day Quotes
“Let us remember: One book, one pen, one child, and one teacher can change the world.” - Malala Yousafzai
"The man who does not read has no advantage over the man who cannot read.” - Mark Twain
“You educate a man; you educate a man. You educate a woman; you educate a generation.” - Brigham Young
“Literacy is a bridge from misery to hope." - Kofi Annan
“The function of education is to teach one to think critically. Intelligence plus character- that is the goal of true education.” -Martin Luther King Jr.
“The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you.” - B.B. King
“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”- Mahatma Gandhi
"Literacy in itself is no education. Literacy is not the end of education or even the beginning. By education, I mean an all-round drawing out of the best in the child and man-body, mind and spirit."- Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
