World Literacy Day 2023: Date, History, Facts about Books

In 1965, during the World Conference of Ministers of Education for the Eradication of Illiteracy in Tehran, the concept of a World Literacy Day was conceived.

World Literacy Day is observed annually on September 8. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the day is observed to remind the international community of the significance of literacy for individuals, communities, and societies, as well as the necessity of increased efforts towards a more literate society.

The background of World Literacy Day

In 1965, during the World Conference of Ministers of Education for the Eradication of Illiteracy in Tehran, the concept of a World Literacy Day was conceived. To combat global illiteracy, UNESCO designated September 8 as World Literacy Day on October 26, 1966. First celebrated in 1967, World Literacy Day has been an annual event for the past 50 years.

Since 1967, World Literacy Day has been celebrated annually to educate the public about the importance of literacy as a matter of dignity and civil rights and to promote the literacy agenda for a more literate and progressive society.

The objective was to advocate literacy as a force that could empower not only individuals but also entire communities. It would also assist a great number of individuals worldwide in finding employment and bettering their circumstances.

While UNESCO has observed improvements in the literacy rates of minors, the same cannot be said for the adult population. Despite advances, illiteracy persists, with approximately 773 million people worldwide lacking basic literacy skills.

Literacy is a significant component of both the United Nations (U.N.) Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In 2015, this day was also designated as part of the Sustainable Development Goals programme of the United Nations. One of the objectives of Sustainable Development Goal 4 is to ensure that all young people acquire literacy and numeracy and that adults who lack these skills are permitted to acquire them.

Even during times of global crises, attempts have been made to discover alternate methods to preserve learning continuity, such as distant learning, which is frequently used in conjunction with in-person education. Nonetheless, literacy education opportunities are not always readily accessible.

The sudden transition to distance learning in the digital era reveals persistent disparities in infrastructure and skills required to use technology, as well as disparities in other services, such as energy availability, that limit learning opportunities.

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The “Bible,” “Chairman Mao Tse-Tung’s Quotations,” and the “Harry Potter” series are the three most extensively read works of literature.

The “Harry Potter” series by J.K. Rowling was rejected by 12 different publishers before Bloomsebury took it up.