08 September, 2009

Literacy Day

Someone at the UN (actually I bet it's a large committee with undersecretaries, sub-managers and interns) is charged with naming days for whatever is the current preoccupation (non-smoking day is some time in May, I think, and there's bound to be a 'wearing cycle helmets' Day soon). But here is one which seems to be of some value if, as I suppose, the aim is to get us thinking about it. Today is International Literacy Day.

Some West African countres have literacy rates at only 15%. The average for South and West Asia is under 60%. And of course without literacy these people cannot make progress and will remain poor, barbaric and increasingly subsidy dependent. The figures for female illiteracy in some places are appalling.

A useful one, for once.

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