International Literacy Day 2021 Theme: International Literacy Day (ILD) is celebrated on September 8. According to the UNESCO website, this year, the theme for International Literacy Day is 'Literacy for a human-centred recovery: Narrowing the digital divide'.

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Significance and Background

The UN website informs that September 8 was proclaimed International Literacy Day by UNESCO in 1966 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. It has to be noted that The issue of literacy is a key component of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals and the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Since 1967, the ILD celebrations took place annually in order to remind of the people the importance of literacy as a matter of dignity and human rights and to advance the literacy agenda towards a more literate and sustainable society. In spite of the progress, still literacy challenges persist with at least 773 million young people and adults lacking basic literacy skills today.

International Literacy Day 2021: Theme

As mentioned earlier, the ILD 2021 will be celebrated under the theme 'Literacy for a human-centred recovery: Narrowing the digital divide'.

The COVID-19 crisis has disrupted the learning of children, young people and adults at an unprecedented scale. It has also magnified the pre-existing inequalities in access to meaningful literacy learning opportunities, as per UNESCO.

The UNESCO website further states that even in the times of global crisis, efforts have been made to find alternative ways to ensure the continuity of learning, including distance learning and often in combination with in-person learning. Nevertheless, the access to the learning opportunities has not been evenly distributed.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic was a reminder of the critical importance of literacy. It has to be noted that Beyond its intrinsic importance as part of the right to education, literacy empowers individuals and improves their lives by expanding their capabilities to choose a kind of life they can value and is also a driving factor for sustainable development.

The ILD 2021 will explore how literacy can contribute to building a solid foundation for a human-centred recovery, with a special focus on the interplay of literacy and digital skills required by non-literate youth and adults. It will also explore what makes technology-enabled literacy learning inclusive and meaningful to leave no one behind. In an attempt to do so, the ILD2021 will provide an opportunity to reimagine future literacy teaching and learning, within and beyond the context of the pandemic.

International Literacy Day: Quotes, messages and greerings

1) Let us remember: One book, one pen, one child, and one teacher can change the world.” – Malala Yousafzi

2) ”The man who does not read has no advantage over the man who cannot read.” – Mark Twain

3) “You educate a man; you educate a man. You educate a woman; you educate a generation.” – Brigham Young

4) “Literacy is a bridge from misery to hope.” – Kofi Annan

5) “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.

6) ”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

7) ”Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.” – Aristotle