International Literacy Day today
Bangladesh will observe International Literacy Day today, as elsewhere in the world, amid confusion about the actual figure of literate people in the country.
The final report of the 5th Population and Household Census 2011, released in July, says that 51.8 per cent of the population of seven years and above were literate. As the census report puts the total population at 15.25 crore, this means that about 7.5 crore people are still illiterate.
The state minister for primary and mass education, Motahar Hossain, at a press conference held on Thursday in view of Literacy Day said that more than three crore people were illiterate.
According to the Literacy Survey 2010 of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, published in June 2011, 57.53 per cent people of 7 years and above were literate which is defined to mean that they can write letters for communication.
The Statistical Yearbook of Bangladesh 2010, published by Bangladesh Bureau
of Statistics in May 2011, says 59.07 per cent of the people of 15 years and above were literate.
The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics conducted the Fifth decennial population census in March 15–19, 2011. As per the preliminary report, the population of the country was at 142.3 million in 2011.
It means, at that time, the total number of illiterate people was about 5.5 crore.
The Human Development Report 2011 of the United Nations Development Programme says that 55.9 per cent people of 15 years and above of about 150.5 million people in Bangladesh are literate. It means that about 6.75 crore people were illiterate.
The Bureau of Non-Formal Education says that 59.82 per cent people of 15 years and above are literate.
Fomrer primary and mass education adviser to the caretaker government Rasheda K Choudhury also executive director of the Campaign for Popular Education, told New Age that literacy rate in Bangladesh ranges between 50 and 55.
‘There are differences between government and NGO statistics of literacy rate. The government sometimes tries to exaggerate the figure while NGOs try to keep them lower,’ Hossain Zillur, a former education adviser to the caretaker government, also chairman of the Power and Participation Research Centre, said.
The theme of the day this year is ‘Literacy and Peace.’ This theme was adopted by the United Nations Literacy Decade to demonstrate the multiple uses and value that literacy brings to people.
The government and non-government organisations have planned programmes to mark the occasion.
The primary and mass education ministry will hold a rally in front of the Central Shaheed Minar and a discussion in the Osmani Memorial Hall auditorium at 10:00am and the Non-formal Education Bureau will hold a discussion in its auditorium at 3:00pm in the capital city.
The Campaign for Popular Education, the Campaign for Good Governance and Amar Odhikar Campaign will hold rallies, seminars, discussions and human chains across the country.
The president, Zillur Rahman and the prime minister Sheikh Hasina, issued separate messages on the occasion.
Courtesy of New Age
