International Literacy Day

When a person finds himself in another country whose language he does not know, he has to overcome a number of difficulties - he can not read the necessary instructions, understand the inscriptions in public places and transport, and even the inscriptions on food packages. The person feels confused and helpless. This imaginary situation only to a small extent demonstrates what a person who cannot read feels. Today, we take literacy for granted, so it's hard to imagine that many people in today's world live without basic reading and writing skills. In order to draw public attention to this problem and help to overcome it, at the initiative of UNESCO, the International Literacy Day was established, which is celebrated annually on September 8.

The UN estimates that 781 million adults cannot read or write. And this is in the 21st century. Literacy rates in developed countries are high at an average of 99.2%, while most illiterate people live in South and West Asia, as well as in sub-Saharan Africa.