The International Literacy Day by UNESCO

September 8 was declared International Literacy Day by UNESCO on November 17, 1965. Its aim is, according to UNESCO, to highlight the importance of literacy to individuals, communities and societies. The 2017 full-day event took place at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. The theme was “Literacy in a Digital World” and the main objectives were as follows:

• To reflect on what it means to be literate in increasingly digitally mediated societies.
• To explore effective policies and programmes for literacy skills development in a digital world; and
• To explore how digital technologies can support progress towards the Sustainable Development Goal 4, especially Target 4.6 on youth and adult literacy.

There were 4 sessions for the event. Session 1 was about rethinking literacy in a digital world. The key question was “What does it mean to be literate in the highly digital world of the 21st Century? Panelists discussed on the key skills and competencies required in digital economies and societies.

Session 2 showcased panelists who were engaged in promising programmes that were thought of to advance literacy in a digital world. These programmes formed part of the UNESCO International Literacy Prizes 2017.

Session 3 looked at the risks and responses of promoting literacy in a digital world. This session looked into the question of literacy in the digital world through the equity lens, considering both issues an opportunities for inclusion.

The final session was about literacy monitoring and assessment in a digital world. The three main questions that panelists asked in this session were as follows:

• How can digital tools be used to better measure literacy levels?
• How can digital skills best be assessed?
• How can real time data and data analytics advance the monitoring of literacy skills acquisition and management of national information systems?