ICESCO urges increasing efforts to combat illiteracy

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) called on Saturday for intensifying efforts for literacy and maximizing benefits from it to boost mutual understanding and peace. The organization made the statement on the occasion of marking International Literacy Day (ILD) falls on September 8. The statement called for following preventive ways to treat sources of illiteracy, adding that the organization focuses through its vision and policy on education as it is a human right. This is done through disseminating awareness on the need of combating illiteracy and focusing on marginalized groups and the poorest, mainly women and girls, out of the importance of comprehensive and fair education for all, it added. The statement stressed the need of mobilizing funds and increasing investments for this field, in addition to providing more open educational resources. The ICESCO prioritized literacy programs among its members, due to the key role of education in boosting human developm ent. It called for more efforts and cooperation for this field, it said, referring that there are 765 million illiterate people, two thirds of whom are females and women. As the pace of technology in this world is accelerating and cultures are enormous, rehabilitating individuals through a multilingual educational approach focusing on mother tongue is much needed than ever, it stated. This approach contributed pivotally to boosting reading and writing skills, and encourages mutual understanding and the respect for cultural diversity, it noted. This backs efforts for building fairer and safer societies, and provides wide horizons for continued education, the statement pointed out. Since 1967, the world has been marking the ILD to remind policy-makers and specialists of the key role of literacy to build more sustainable, fair and safe societies to be aware of reading and writing skills. Source: Kuwait News Agency