Today, as the global community marks International Literacy Day, attention is once again drawn to the importance of education as a cornerstone of human dignity and rights.
Since 1967, the day has been observed annually on September 8 to remind policymakers, practitioners, and the public of literacy’s role in building a just, peaceful, and sustainable society.
This year, the world commemorates the 58th edition with the theme, “Promoting Literacy in the Digital Era.”
In its message, UNESCO revealed that despite notable progress, 739 million people worldwide still lack basic literacy skills as of last year.
Meanwhile, in Nigeria, some concerned parents in Lagos have used the occasion to urge the federal government to end the practice of single-use textbooks in schools.
They lamented that many textbooks are designed for students to write directly in, preventing reuse by younger siblings and imposing an unnecessary financial burden on families.
The respondents applauded the Plateau State Government for recently banning schools from compelling parents to buy new textbooks each year, describing it as a policy worth replicating nationwide to promote literacy equity.
Writing by Gladys Haruna