World Literacy Day 2021: Today is International Literacy Day around the world. Every year on September 8, World Literacy Day is commemorated to remind people that literacy is the most valuable component of their life.

Humans need literacy and education to grow and create a sustainable environment, however many individuals in the twenty-first century lack fundamental literacy skills. It is critical to commemorate World Literacy Day in order to raise awareness among the youth.

World Literacy Day 2021: Theme Explained

For almost two years, the globe has been afflicted by a global pandemic caused by the COVID-19 virus, and education and literacy have been severely affected as a result. This year, to narrow down the education divide, the United Nations Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has announced to celebrate International literacy day 2021 under the “Literacy for a human-centred recovery: Narrowing the digital divide” theme.

UNESCO tweeted: “Digital skills have become a key factor to access life-saving information. But over half of the world’s population lack basic skills for computer-based activities. We must step up efforts to expand #literacy and digital skills for all!”

Due to the global pandemic, digital education is provided only to digitally-enabled children. Most of the digitally disabled children are missing out on education throughout the world. This alone is a divide among the educating children and students.

This theme will look into the possibilities for spreading technology-enabled literacy to all people. No one should be denied their right to be read and well-educated.

World Literacy Day 2021: Why is it important to celebrate ILD?

“During the initial phase of the epidemic, schools were shuttered, interrupting the education of 62.3 percent of the world’s 1.09 billion student population,” according to UNESCO. Because of the epidemic, classes were moved online, highlighting the digital divide in terms of connectivity, infrastructure, and ability to interact with technology.

Since 1966, September 8 has been designated as International Literacy Day (ILD), yet now 773 million young people and adults are illiterate. What can we do about this collectively? Put your thoughts in the comments below.