UNESCO International Literacy Day Golden Jubilee Celebrations at JMA Pilani

Fifty years ago, UNESCO officially proclaimed 8 September as International Literacy Day to actively mobilize the international community and to promote literacy as an instrument to empower individuals, communities and societies and 2016 marks the 50th anniversary of the same.

Many ways of joining the celebrations include by Donating books and reading materials to a local school or community centre, starting a reading club, volunteering to teach literacy classes in local community, becoming a mentor of a non-literate person, etc.

In India today, no one has doubt that literacy which is vital to social and human development in its ability to transform lives is a top ranking human right and the foundation for lifelong learning. On the occasion of International Literacy Day with theme "Reading the Past, Writing the Future" scheduled on 8 Sep 2016, well known BITS Pilani alumnus Prof BR Natarajan Founder President - Vice Chancellor presently Advisor Sangam University, Bhilwara addressed the teachers and students of JMA Pilani during the school assembly and shared the following.

“To bring about the improvement of one's health, one's income, and one's relationship with the world, literacy is an instrument of empowerment for individuals as well as families, and societies alike. The uses of literacy for the exchange of knowledge are constantly evolving, along with advances in technology. From the Internet to text messaging, the ever-wider availability of communication makes for greater social and political participation. A literate community is a dynamic community, one that exchanges ideas and engages in debate. Illiteracy, however, is an obstacle to a better quality of life, and can even breed exclusion and violence. UNESCO today is launching the Global Alliance for Literacy, to mobilize investment and promote innovative initiatives, with a focus on gender and new information and communication technologies.

Literacy is essential to success across the board. A foundation for human rights and dignity, literacy is vital for poverty eradication, for gender equality, for more inclusive and sustainable societies. 2016 is the first year of implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In this context the vision of literacy is aligned with lifelong learning opportunities with special focus on youth and adults. Literacy is a part of Sustainable Development Goal 4, which aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. The target is that by 2030 all youth and a substantial proportion of adults, both men and women, achieve literacy and numeracy (SDG Target 4.6).

According to UNESCO Global Education Monitoring GEM, India will be late by 50 years on Educational goals as India is expected to reach Universal Primary Eduaction only by 2050-, Universal Lower Secondary Education by 2060 and Universal Upper Secondary Education by 2085.

To conclude, Prof Natarajan urged the students and teachers to take inspiration from the message of Irina Bokova UNESCO Director General “The world has changed since 1966 but our determination to provide every woman and man with the skills, capacities and opportunities to become everything they wish, in dignity and respect, remains as firm as ever. Literacy is a foundation to build a more sustainable future for all.” When Prof Natarajan mentioned that Jan Shikshan Sansthan Mallapuram India for its programme ‘Vocational and Skill Development for Sustainable Development’ is a winner of the 2016 UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy, there was a thunderous applause.

For more details about JMA Pilani see http://jmapilani.org/

About JMA Pilani: Smt. Jamuna Mishra Academy (JMA) established in the year 2004 which has been making rapid strides in early childhood education is presently one of the most sought after schools at Pilani Rajasthan well known in India today for BITS Pilani University as well as CSIR Laboratory CEERI and world renowned Birla Science Museum. JMA Pilani is a Co-educational English Medium School with Experienced Teachers, Spacious Classrooms and Modern Amenities designed to impart Quality Education combined with All Round Personality Development and lay the Best Foundation for the Child’s Future. JMA which started in 2004 with an enrollment of 60 students for the Nursery, LKG, First Junior and Class I has grown today till Class XII and enrollment of 900. While the school admits both boys and girls, the girl student enrollment has been steadily rising every year and is presently nearly 50% of the total strength. The school has NCC for boys and the school girls band has been winning laurels every year too. Yoga and Fine arts are not just part of school routine but a way of life for the students.

Mrs Booma Natarajan, M.Sc., M.A., B.Ed.
Principal, Jamuna Mishra Academy – JMA
Near Old Pilani Post Office
Pilani Rajasthan 333031 India
Phone 91-1596-242314
Email booma_pilani at yahoo.co.in
Website: http://jmapilani.org/

This release was published on openPR.