Govt, private sector partnership essential for literacy in digital world: UNESCO

The Government and private sector partnership is essential for promoting literacy in digital world, UNESCO’s Director General Irina Bokova said on the occasion of the International Literacy Day on Friday.

Bokova opines that partnerships between governments, civil society and the private sector are essential today to promote literacy in a digital world.

“Digital technologies permeate all spheres of our lives, fundamentally shaping how we live, work, learn and socialise,” said Bokova.

“These new technologies are opening vast new opportunities to improve our lives and connect globally, but they can also marginalise those who lack the essential skills, like literacy, needed to navigate them,” Bokova further added.

The day was celebrated across the world under the theme of ‘Literacy in a Digital World’, highlighting improvements in world literacy rates, current challenges and plan for future growth.

According to the United Nations (UN), the main objectives of International Literacy Day 2017 are:

  • To reflect on what it means to be literate in increasingly digitally-mediated societies
  • To explore effective policies and programmes for literacy skills development in a digital world
  • To explore how digital technologies can support progress towards the sustainable development

The 2017 UNESCO International Literacy Prizes awards ceremony was also held to recognise and reward excellent literacy practices from around the world in connection with this year’s theme.

“The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development highlights the issue of literacy as a key component.

UNESCO declared 8th September as International Literacy Day by at the 14th session of its general conference on 26 October 1966.

Fact File:

  • Despite the significant literacy progress made in the past decades, the world was still home to 758 million illiterate adults and 263 million out-of-school children of primary and secondary school age in 2014.
  • Around 250 million children worldwide, including those who are in school, are failing to acquire basic skills. Considering the nature of the data, however, these figures, based on indirect measurement, could be an underestimation of the degree of literacy challenges and their complexity.

Read detailed report here

 

"Exciting news! Elets Education is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest insights!" Click here!
Be a part of Elets Collaborative Initiatives. Join Us for Upcoming Events and explore business opportunities. Like us on Facebook , connect with us on LinkedIn and follow us on Twitter , Instagram.