SINCE 1967, the world has annually been pausing on this day to take a reflective breath from the intriguing complexities of diplomacy and intricate maneuvers of global trade relations to celebrate the International Literacy Day.
The celebration of today, scheduled to take place around nations of the world is designed to reawaken the consciousness of opinion leaders, policy-makers, practitioners, and the general public on the critical importance of literacy through formal education for creating a more literate, better informed, just, peaceful, and more sustainable society. Literacy is therefore a vital foundation for education and socioeconomic development of any society. While universal literacy is indicative of light and development, high level concentration of out-of-school children portends serious socioeconomic danger both for the now and in the future.
Nigeria is part of the global community involved in today’s celebration. Her involvement in the celebration can however at best be described as mere ritual, bordering on empty sloganeering, lacking in the true essence of the policy implementation imperative in the education and social sectors. Whereas Nations such as Andorra, Finland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, North Korea, Norway, and Uzbekistan have consistently shown 100 percent or near 100 percent literacy rates, Nigeria’s population of out-of-school children has been on the increase, currently standing at around 18.3 million, representing the world’s highest number of such children.
This is a daunting social issue that demands a state of emergency for some accelerated policy implementation. Truth is that basic literacy remains fundamental for citizenship engagement and responsible governance . The high figure of out-of-school children includes approximately 10.5 million children aged 5 to 14, a foundational age bracket that determines how useful the individual will turn out to be to himself and society. Though a significant concentration of this population is situated in the northern regions, the weight of economic challenges on families has caused a spread to other regions across the country.
The issue of out of school children amidst high level illiteracy has therefore become widespread, affecting both primary and secondary levels, though some data points suggest that when including all out-of-school children up to secondary school age, the number reaches closer to 20 million. This is a significant drawback for the projected success in other development areas. Failure of policies at the implementation stage has been largely responsible for high- level literacy across the country. Policies such as nomadic education to follow, after the lifestyle of the nomadic cattle rearerswere not diligently or committedly implemented. The same experience was replicated in the halfhearted implementation of the adult and non-formal education scheme in some regions of the South. Education policies,no matter how beautifully designed,if poorly implemented will turn out with a defeated result, away from the projected targets.
Literacy remains a fundamental human right desirable for all for communication and vital decision making. It is a social fulcrum around which other development targets are hinged. It equally opens the door to the enjoyment of other human rights such as greater freedoms and active participation in issues that engender global citizenship. Literacy is a foundation for people to acquire broader knowledge, skills, values, attitudes, and behaviours to foster a culture of lasting peace based on respect for equality and non-discrimination, the rule of law, solidarity, justice, diversity, and tolerance. It promotes the building of harmonious relations with oneself, other people and the planet.
As we celebrate the great gains and limitless possibilities in literacy, it is important that we fashion out a future for the out-of-school children a number of which are currently on the streets being used to beg for alms. No cultural inclination or religious persuasion should justify the denial of a child the opportunity to attain literacy. Every decent and progressive society should outlaw the use of such children for street begging. This is not just primitive but atavistic.
Experience has also shown that a child street beggar today becomes a ready and available recruit for militancy, insurgency and religious fundamentalist movements of tomorrow. Waging a total war against illiteracy today is one sure way of ensuring social stability for tomorrow. Despite progress flaunted at the global level, at least 739 million youth and adults worldwide still lacked basic literacy skills as at 2024. Reports also have it that 4 in 10 children are not reaching minimum proficiency in reading, and 272 million children and adolescents were out of school in 2023.
This year’s celebration comes under the theme “Promoting literacy in the digital era.”Digitalisation has been changing ways in which we learn, live, work and socialise, in both positive and negative ways. This theme, no doubt is apt in terms of universal applicability. Countries like Nigeria should however ponder a lot more on how to drastically reduce the growing population of out of school children.Digital tools can help in this regard to expand learning opportunities for marginalized groups.
Part of the focus of this year’s celebration includes exploring digital possibilities in reaching 739 million young people and adults who lack basic literacy skills. This digital shift also risks creating double marginalization – exclusion not only from traditional literacy learning but also from the benefits of the digital age. Digitalisation also raises other concerns, including privacy issues, privacy, digital surveillance, reinforced biases, ethics, the risk of passive consumption, and environmental impacts.
Literacy is a key for making these transformations inclusive, relevant and meaningful. Beyond reading and writing on paper, literacy in the digital era enables people to access, understand, evaluate, create, communicate and engage with digital content safely and appropriately. Literacy is also central for fostering critical thinking, discerning credible information and navigating complex information environments.
As the world today celebrates progress in literacy at the global, regional, national and local levels. It presents an opportunity for Nigeria to critically reflect on the limitless gains in the entrenched culture of literacy. How can literacy teaching and learning, programmes and policies be designed, managed and monitored in this digital era. We also need to spotlight effective policies and interventions that promote literacy as a common good and a human right – and as a lever for empowerment and transformation to build more inclusive, just and sustainable societies.
The singsong has been that enough budgetary allocation is not channeled to education. While this could be true, the more worrisome development is that even that which is allocated towards the elimination of illiteracy filters away through corrupt and unjustifiable
application of resources. States, regional and local authorities should also rise up and deal seriously with cultural and religious practices that provide a fertile ground for the growth and entrenchment of the out of school syndrome. Tomorrow’s development targets become more realistic when the tide of illiteracy is tamed today for our world to become a freer, safer and more fulfilling place.
