International Literacy Day, an annual celebration observed all over the world every year on September 8, was observed here today on the theme ‘Promoting literacy for a world in transition, Building the foundation for sustainable and peaceful societies’.
Deputy Commissioner of South West Khasi Hills, T Lyngwa, was the chief guest. The event was organised by the office of the District Mission Coordinator with a view to spread awareness to the masses about the importance of literacy.
Lyngwa stressed on the need and importance of education by appealing to the teaching community to organise more workshops and discussions in order to bring dropouts and out of school children back to school to keep them at par with society because with literary skills, people will be more aware of their rights and will be able to make better decisions and work together for the betterment of themselves and others.
Nadine GB Jyrwa, the District Out of School Children Coordinator, gave a brief introduction about this day and mentioned that the district’s literacy rate is 76.54 percent according to the 2011 census data, with the rate among males slightly higher at 77.33 percent as compared to females (75.73 percent).
As part of this celebration, there were 22 schools that took part in a rally that travelled through Mawkyrwat.