International Literacy Day…Promoting literacy in a world in transition

The celebration of International Literacy Day is one of the oldest international holidays commemorated annually by all humanity since 1967. The annual celebration aims to remind people of the importance of eradicating illiteracy as an important means of spreading knowledge and defeating ignorance, an issue involving human dignity and the rights of all people, and an important way for societies to progress in a sustainable way to become more familiar with reading and writing skills, which have become indispensable in today’s world. It is going through a transition phase that requires joint efforts.
The goal of International Literacy Day is to promote the vision of a world without illiteracy by improving basic skills in reading and writing, as they are an integral part of everyone’s right to education and enable him to understand and interpret all issues in life, and also promote communication and creativity in the digital world, through which everyone can participate effectively in society, thus improving lifestyles, improving economic conditions, reducing poverty and providing more opportunities to live a decent life.
Despite the progress, the challenge of literacy remains, according to the United Nations, to date, at least 771 million people in the world, young and old, are still not proficient in the basic skills of reading and writing, noting that according to a 2006 UNESCO report, two-thirds of them are women, in addition to 103 million children who do not have the ability to go to school to learn these skills.
As school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted basic education for an estimated 62.3% of 1.09 billion students worldwide, the damage was even greater in the literacy category, as an estimated 617 million children and adolescents did not achieve minimum proficiency in literacy, reading and numeracy.
The difficulties brought about by the pandemic have also exposed the extent of the existing digital divide in terms of Internet connectivity and infrastructure, especially electricity, which has faced and continues to face difficulties that have prevented its permanent use in households in some poor countries, which has caused about 24 million learners to resume (distance learning), including 11 million girls and young women, according to UNESCO.
The theme of the 2022 International Literacy Day, celebrated around the world under the theme “Transforming the fabric of learning, eradicating illiteracy”, sets out a new vision for the fundamental importance of learning to read and write, building resilience and ensuring the provision of quality education. The 2023 celebrations will be marked by the slogan: Promoting literacy in a world in transition, while focusing on laying the foundations for peaceful and sustainable societies, in recognition of those who have been awarded the UNESCO Literacy Prizes on the occasion of the International Day at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France.
The importance of literacy and its annual celebration is that it is an engine for sustainable development, an intrinsic part of education and a form of lifelong learning based on human nature. All those involved in education and teaching systems have the opportunity to highlight the progress made in literacy rates and reflect on how to overcome other literacy challenges facing the world, as literacy issues are an important factor in the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
UNESCO’s Strategy for Literacy for Youth and Adults 2020-2025 has a special focus on the Global Alliance for Literacy countries and is structured around four priority strategic areas, the first of which is to support Member States in developing their own literacy strategies. The third phase is to use digital technologies to expand learning opportunities and improve learning outcomes. The aim is to monitor the progress made and evaluate literacy skills and literacy programmes to determine the extent of the achievements.
Innovative educational programs and a sound literacy training philosophy encourage the development of a vibrant and dynamic learning society, keeping pace with great progress, including the preparation of a guide for parents to encourage their children to read at home, which includes activities to stimulate reading and writing at home and the use of modern means such as presentations and posters to help parents encourage their children to read and follow commands and requests, in addition to the use of training manuals for controlling spelling and letters, as well as educational means that integrate children’s favorite games in an informative way, engaging them.
As the child grows older, the means and methods vary, from using modern programs, such as computers with Word and PowerPoint applications, teaching writing letters and simple sentences, making pictures and maps, according to the economic capabilities of the family, without neglecting colored cards, expressive drawings and stories, which increase the vocabulary in the memory of the child, the meaning and its derivations, access to readable and audio-readable electronic books, which have become an important part of the educational system integrating devices and applications of personal phones and modern digital devices, and carefully monitoring them to prevent misuse or addiction.

The Qatari education system has made remarkable achievements in the fields of literacy and adult education, with statistics showing that the illiteracy rate among school-age students has reached zero and the overall illiteracy rate is 0.95%. According to the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, the number of students enrolled in the adult education system reached 7,676 in 2020. Enrolled in all public schools, except model schools.
The Ministry of Education is developing a special education programme for adult education, for pupils who do not qualify for compulsory education (those who have turned 18 or have completed preparatory school) and for those whose day education has been cancelled (due to marriage, repeated failure or work), to encourage them to continue their education regardless of whether they are working or not.
Adult education courses are divided into approved courses for day education students in grades 5 to 12 of public schools and special courses for literacy classes (first cycle and second cycle), which also have special textbooks and curriculum different from day education. The Ministry provides a range of benefits to students, such as special education services for students with disabilities and provides them with necessary arrangements and facilities to meet their needs and those of others.
In the State of Qatar, there are two pathways for adult education, one of which is linked to home study, where students enroll in morning schools and take exams (for both sexes), and the other is an optional evening course for those who already have a degree. Qatar’s new adult education system offers a lot of flexibility and attractive tools for students, while also allowing adults to take academic courses in multiple subjects at night schools to complete their studies, shortening the education ladder from 12 years to 10 years.
In recent years, Qatar has expanded at a record and unprecedented rate in the construction of schools at all stages, at a rate that can only be achieved by the most advanced countries in the world, in addition to ensuring and improving the quality of education. The wise leadership has given generous and unlimited support to education at all stages, levels and sectors, thus establishing an educational renaissance on the solid foundation that builds the Qatari people and arms him with faith, science and knowledge, the foundation of development and civilizational progress.
In this context, the State of Qatar, through its external efforts and initiatives of “Education Above All”, has provided educational opportunities to millions of children in poor countries around the world, and has restored and built many educational institutions in Asian and African countries. Launched in 2012, the Foundation includes several international projects such as “Educate the Children”, “Al Fakhoora”, “Protecting Education in Conflict and Insecurity” and “Going to Asia”, whose projects the Foundation is committed to ensuring that all children in developing countries, especially those who are not in school (currently 59 million children), benefit from education issues, and is particularly committed to helping the most vulnerable groups in developing countries. Change the world through capacity building, resource mobilization and the establishment of multi-sectoral alliances and partnerships.
Qatar’s literacy policy began very early, especially from the 1950s, and the country soon established its first adult education and literacy center in 1954 to coincide with the start of the country’s educational renaissance, with general classes opening in late 1956. As part of efforts to establish an education sub-sector in the sector, Qatar had several units at the time, including two centers opened in 1976 that specialized in evening education.
The State of Qatar has developed a 10-year plan for literacy and adult education that began in 1977 and ended in 1986. It is also an active contributor to the implementation and development of the Arab literacy strategy at the regional and Arab levels. In recent years, in the preparation of the “Arab Jubilee” programme, a regional programme for universal primary education and the eradication of adult illiteracy in the Arab region, it has exchanged experiences with global initiatives and developed plans and strategies to modernize the field of education, such as adult education and literacy, which have been praised, appreciated and recognized by the world and relevant regional and international organizations.
Inspired by the scientific values ​​of the true Islamic religion, the State of Qatar attaches great importance to the educational process and scientific research and has achieved remarkable results in this context, to the extent that now no school-age child is outside the school walls, considering that the citizen is the backbone of development, his education and eradication of illiteracy are responsibilities that must be undertaken in a world full of various types of scientific and professional knowledge.