International Literacy Day 2020

International Literacy Day is celebrated on 8 September by United Nations to remind the international community of the importance of literacy for individuals, communities and societies, and the need for intensified efforts towards more literate societies.

Daily Current Affairs Quiz 2020

Key-Points

The day aims at raising awareness and reminding people of the importance of literacy as a matter of dignity and human rights.

The theme for International Literacy Day 2020 is “Literacy teaching and learning in the COVID-19 crisis and beyond”.

The Literacy Day this year will reflect on the innovative and effective pedagogies that can be used in youth and adult literacy programmes to face the pandemic and beyond.

This day was declared International Literacy Day by UNESCO on 26th October 1966 at the 14th Session of UNESCO’s General Conference.

It was celebrated for the first time in 1967 and its main aim is to highlight the importance of literacy to individuals, communities and societies.

Despite progress made, literacy challenges persist with at least 773 million adults worldwide lacking basic literacy skills today.

According to the UNESCO’s ‘Global Monitoring Report on Education for All’ (2006), South Asia has the lowest regional adult literacy rate, at 58.6 per cent and the causes for this illiteracy range from severe poverty and the prejudice against women.