DHAKA, Sept 8, 2020 (BSS) – The International Literacy Day-2020 was observed in the country in a befitting manner todayas elsewhere in the globe with a call for freeing the country from the curse of illiteracy.
This year’s theme of the day was “Literacy teaching and learning in the COVID-19 crisis and beyond with a focus on the role of educators and changing pedagogies.”
Marking the day, Bureau of Non-Formal Education (BNFE) chalked out a daylong programme in the city while State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Md Zakir Hossen inaugurated the programme as the chief guest.
Earlier, on Monday, President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages marking the day.
The President, in his message, said the government is working relentlessly to improve the education system of the country.
The government is committed to make the country’s people viable human resources eliminating illiteracy from the country and enhancing skills of the people by implementing the ‘Vision 2041’, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Seventh Five Year Plan, Hamid said.
In this regard, the government has adopted and implemented various development programmes, including compulsory primary education, free textbook distribution, imparting trainings, development of school infrastructure, distribution of cent percent scholarships and school feedings, he added.
A teaching programme titled “Ghore Bose Shikhi” has been launched simultaneously in Sangsad Bangladesh Television, Bangladesh Betar while all community radios aim at fulfilling the education gap due to the global pandemic COVID-19, the President said.
Hamid urged all, including local public representatives, non-government organisations (NGOs) and civil society members, to work together along with the government to achieve the desired targets of the country’s development by creating skilled manpower through imparting proper education.
The Prime Minister, in her message, said the present Awami League (AL) government is implementing the Basic Literacy Project in 64 districts across the country to impart literacy knowledge to 45 lakh illiterate people.
The government is also implementing a programme to bring 10 lakh children, who are out of schools, aged between eight and 10 into the mainstream of the Fourth Primary Education Development Program (PEDP-4), Sheikh Hasina added.
Noting that the literacy rate now stands at 74.7 percent increasing by 28.92 percent in the last 10 years due to the government’s relentless and continued efforts, she said, “We want to free the country from the curse of illiteracy by implementing literacy and non-formal education programmes”.
Besides, the government is also implementing a variety of programmes to ensure quality and universal education in accordance with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal-4, the premier said.
Sheikh Hasina said the government has launched online education system amid the global coronavirus pandemic to keep operative the education sector. Schools, colleges, universities and madrasahs in different levels have been instructed to take classes online while Sangsad Television is airing the classes regularly, she added.
The 8th of September was proclaimed as International Literacy Day by the 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.
The issue of literacy is a key component of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.