The International Communication Project (ICP) is a strong supporter of the UNESCO International Literacy Day. The ICP promotes International Literacy Day because literacy is a basic human right.
Since 1967, International Literacy Day (ILD) celebrations have taken place annually around the world to remind the public of 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. Despite progress made, literacy challenges persist with at least 771 million young people and adults lacking basic literacy skills today.
2022 – #Literacy Day
Rapidly changing global context took a new meaning over the past years, hampering the progress of global literary efforts. In the aftermath of the pandemic, nearly 24 million learners might never return to formal education, out of which, 11 million are projected to be girls and young women. To ensure no one is left behind, the ICP supports the need to enrich and transform the existing learning spaces through an integrated approach and enable literacy learning in the perspective of lifelong learning.
In 2022, ILD will be celebrated worldwide under the theme, Transforming Literacy Learning Spaces. It is an opportunity to rethink the fundamental importance of literacy learning spaces to build resilience and ensure quality, equitable, and inclusive education for all.
Did you know?
As ILD is being marked in 2022:
- 773 million youth and adults worldwide still lack basic literacy skills, two-thirds of them are women.
- South Asia, Western Asia, and Africa are far from reaching gender parity in education. Men throughout the world are accessing more and better education than women, but the gender gap in these regions is more pronounced than Europe, Central Asia, and North America. On average, women above 15 years are one-fifth less likely to be educated compared to men in the same age group.
- Half of the global illiterate population is in Southern Asia, while 27% is in sub-Saharan Africa, 10% in South eastern and Eastern Asia, 9% in Western Asia, and North Africa, while 4% is in the Caribbean and Latin America. Central Asia, North America, Oceania, and Europe jointly account for less than 2%.
- 5 billion students and youth across the planet are or have been affected by school and university closures.
- 250 million children are failing to acquire basic literacy skills.
- Youth between 15 and 24 are the most literate across the world, owing to an increase in education among the younger generation. North America, Europe, the Caribbean, Latin America, and Central Asia have the most literate populations as most countries report over 95% literacy among youth and adults below the age of 65.
The ICP and Literacy
Literacy empowers and liberates people. Beyond its importance as part of the right to education, literacy improves lives by expanding capabilities which in turn reduces poverty, increases participation in the labour market and has positive effects on health and sustainable development.
The ICP supports ILD because speech pathologist/therapist are the communication professionals who support children and others with communication difficulties. They are a useful part of any literacy team because they:
- Assess speech and language skills to determine if there are any difficulties and provide intervention and strategies to support oral language development.
- Support oral language development in areas that are relevant to literacy, in schools
- Work with preschools, schools and families for example, providing strategies in order to support children’s oral language development.
- Use their specialist knowledge of the sound system of language to help children who are having difficulty with letter-sound relationships.
- Help people to use strategies for understanding what they read.
What can you do on International Literacy Day?
Communication is a basic human right. An important part of communication is literacy. That’s why we urge you to sign The Universal Declaration of Communication Rights. By signing the pledge you help bring attention to persons with communication disorders and the professional care that can help them. And to assist you we will keep you up-to-date with information about what’s being done by the ICP and others to ensure that communication is a basic human right. It is why the ICP supports International Literacy Day on 8 September.
Sign the ICP pledge today! And subscribe to the ICP newsletter.