International Literacy Day, 2022

Written by: Chigozie Paul

Transforming Literacy Learning Spaces.

Every eighth day in September since 1967, people worldwide mark International Literacy Day. International Literacy Day is a day set aside to create awareness of the importance of literacy in empowering people and creating a sustainable economy.

What is literacy? And why is it Important?

Although some argue that it is beyond this, in basic terms, literacy is the ability to read, write, speak and listen in a way that makes communication possible. Literacy is critical because communication is. Communication is essential in career choices and growth, managing relationships, and navigating life generally.

Over the years, communication has evolved in the sense that the scope has widened. Initially, people just had to bother communicating with people in their immediate community, but then came colonization, the search for greener pastures in terms of opportunities, developed communities with infrastructures, and the desire for expansion, forcing people to explore and develop their communication skills.

Many people had to leave their comfort zones to learn to speak, read, and write in other languages; especially in the six UN-recognized official languages: English, French, Arabic, Chinese, Russian and Spanish. Here is why literacy is essential; It bridges communication gaps and makes it possible to communicate effectively, irrespective of the dynamics of the relationship or situation.

Statistics

Despite literacy being so critical, statistics released by the UNESCO, 2022 show that about 771 million people worldwide do not have basic literacy skills, placing them at a huge disadvantage in an advanced world.

In Africa, according to Statistica.com, as of 2021, only 67.4 percent of people aged 15 years and above in Africa were able to read and write a simple statement and understand it. Southern Africa presented the highest literacy rate, while West and Central Africa were at the bottom of the ladder.

These rates were even more affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced schools and other traditional literacy centers to shut down to prevent the spread of the pandemic and save lives. While some resorted to virtual learning, not all of them could adjust to this, especially those in rural or underserved communities.

Even as the world is recovering and adjusting to the Post-Covid era, statistics show that nearly 24 million learners might never return to formal education, of which 11 million are projected to be girls and young women.

The Way Forward: Transforming Literacy Learning Spaces

Based on these statistics, this year’s International Literacy Day theme, Transforming Literacy Learning Spaces, is very timely because it advocates for holding conversations and making moves to create sustainable learning systems that can withstand the test of time.

Already, the world is leaning heavily towards virtual learning. When the pandemic struck, and for health reasons, the government imposed the shutdown of learning facilities and other institutions, people and organizations, including us at Tech4Dev, had to resort to virtual learning to ensure the effects of the pandemic did not entirely halt education.

However, Virtual learning has its cons. For instance, it is almost impractical for those in underserved communities as there is an infrastructural shortage. It increases screen time and requires discipline, and a high level of supervision, among other reasons.

Some people have argued that some of these cons can easily be solved via Instructional-led learning. As the name implies, instructor-led training (ILT) is when an instructor facilitates a training session for a group of learners or individuals in place of self-paced learning, which lets people learn at their own pace.

While other have argued that despite this, self-paced learning is more effective because learning rates and methods are unique to various individuals.

While we practice Instructor-led learning at Tech4Dev, we believe learning does not always have to be linear and that learning is most effective when the methods suit the learner.