Literacy vital for growth

National

THE celebration of national literacy should not be a one-off thing as people need to be literate in order to be able to live a good life, says Central literacy week committee chairman Jospeh Nigona.
“Literacy is needed for everyone to participate meaningfully for the socio-development of this country,” said Nigona on Friday at the handing-over ceremony of the national literacy torch by Central education board to National Capital District, which will host the week’s events next year.
“Illiteracy is a major issue that needed to be addressed both formerly and non-formally.”
Nigona said promoting literacy would require cooperation from the government, private sector, non-government organisations and other education providers like the churches.
“The underlying objective of that is so that the literacy rate in the country improves and that our people in the villages — especially women and girls, children and youths and even people living with disability who are highly vulnerable  become literate in order to be able to improve their own lives.
“So for us at Central, we have already made a submission to the provincial education board to establish the provincial literacy committee that is already approved.
“We are preparing to continue promoting literacy through all levels of education,”Nigona said.