The importance of education for individual, social and national development is globally recognized; equally it is a lifelong process because no matter how much we know, there is always more to learn. Hence the International Literacy Day- September 8- was established to remember the status of the literacy and adult education to the international community.
The Day was proclaimed by the United Nations’ Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on November 17, 1965 in order to highlight the importance of literacy to individuals, communities and societies and remind the international community of the status of literacy and adult learning globally.
Literacy is an essential tool in our endeavours to eradicate poverty, lower child mortality and control population growth amongst others. . It is, also, celebrated to encourage the people towards getting continuous education in order to better understand their responsibilities for their families, societies and countries.
It is estimated that 775 million adults lack minimum literacy skills; one in five adults is still not literate and two-third of them are women; 60.7 million children are out-of-school and many more attend irregularly or drop out.
Though South and West Asia has the lowest regional adult literacy rate (58.7%) in the world, countries with the lowest literacy rates are in Africa, according to UNESCO’s “Global Monitoring Report on Education for all (2006)”. These countries are all in West Africa and include Burkina Faso (12.8%), Niger (14.4) and Mali (19%).
In Africa whatever efforts we have undertaken before and now to break the shackle of underdevelopment must be doubled with genuine commitments, selflessness and hard work. Literacy being an essential tool to enhance any developmental agenda for the African continent; it must be given all the necessary attentions in order to put us on road to sustainable development.
Africa’s current education predicaments are linked to many factors. Firstly the education systems inherited from the colonial powers, that were designed for the formal sector and public administration making them exclusively in their interests , have not been fundamentally reformed and adapted to our own needs and interests till today; Secondly education participation rates are low in many African countries and schools often lack many basic facilities and thirdly African universities, not being in line with increasing students’ intake, suffer from overcrowding and many staff being enticed by high pay and better conditions offered by Western countries migrate to those countries.
African unity being the ultimate resort to effectively and efficiently overcome all the predicaments confronting the continent including illiteracy must, genuinely, be a priority that supersedes all other considerations. African leaders must put an end to the lip service they have so far accorded to all this important matter and education in general. African leaders must curtail the syndrome of dishonesty for personal gains and consider the interests of their people before anything else.
We would like to call on all member and friendly organizations to use this opportunity to highlight the importance of literacy by undertaking various activities in their schools and communities.
Long live International Literacy Day!
AASU-Secretariat
