Int’l Literacy Day today
By Hina Kiyani

ISLAMABAD—International Literacy Day will be observed throughout the World including Pakistan on September 8.
International Literacy Day was established in 1965 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and is celebrated around the world each year on September 8.
In 1990, the United Nations General Assembly gave aboost to world literacy by proclaiming InternationalLiteracy Year. This special Year signified the ongoing commitment of the world community to recognize and support literacy as a key to personal development and to the socio-economic progress of nations. On International Literacy Day, governments, businessand labour groups, non-governmental organizations, communities and individuals are encouraged to recognize the importance of literacy and to play an active role in improving the literacy skills. According to recent estimates, there are approximately 862 million non-literate people in theworld.
Although it may appear that no dent is being made inthe global figures, adult literacy has in fact improved
by 10 percentage points over the last 20 years, from 70 per cent in 1980 to 80 per cent in 2000.
Literacy is a broad-based issue that touches almostevery aspect of people’s lives. It is a key to personaldevelopment and economic opportunity, and a major factor in Canadians’ ability to participate as full and active citizens in all areas of society.
However, literacy for all - children, youth andadults - is still an unaccomplished goal and an evermoving target. A combination of ambitious goals,insufficient and parallel efforts, inadequate resources and strategies, and continued underestimation of the magnitude and complexity of the task accounts for this unmet goal.