P. A. Chacko SJ
Literacy has to do with human dignity, human rights and societal progress.
Without basis literacy skills in learning life can be a standstill affair. There are about 800 million illiterate adults in the world.
This basic skill helps people to move further on the ladder of life for their own development and for the good of the nation. Such ability is essential for human beings to make the world go around in a meaningful manner.
UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization defines literacy as
“the ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate, compute and use printed and written materials associated with varying contexts. Literacy involves a continuum of learning in enabling individuals to achieve their goals, to develop their knowledge and potential, and to participate fully in their community and wider society.”
India’s National Literacy Mission defines literacy as “acquiring the skills of reading, writing and arithmetic and the ability to apply them to one’s day-to-day life.
UNESCO proposes that the International Literacy Day (ILD) 2020 will need to focus on Literacy teaching and learning in the COVID-19 crisis and beyond with a focus on the role of educators and changing pedagogies. The theme will highlight literacy learning in a lifelong learning perspective and therefore mainly focus on youth and adults.
In order to face the pandemic and beyond, attempts need to be made to reflect on and discuss how innovative and effective pedagogies and teaching methodologies can be used in youth and adult literacy programmes. This will require our re-imagining and re-creating strategies for literacy teaching and learning of youth and adults in the post-Covid-19 era.
The global literacy rate for all people aged 15 and above is 86.3%. The global literacy rate for all males is 90.0% and the rate for all females is 82.7%. The rate varies throughout the world
According to reports, in developed nations the rate is 99.2% (2013).
In Oceania it is 71.3%. In South and West Asia it is 70.2% (2015). In sub-Saharan Africa it is 64.0% (2015).
It is estimated that over 75% of the world’s 800 million illiterate adults are found in South Asia, West Asia and sub-Saharan Africa and women represent almost two-thirds of all illiterate adults globally.
Literacy in India (2011 calculation)
F M Total
1951 8.86 27.15 18.32
2011 65.46 82.14 74.04