Editorial: Celebrating Literacy

SEPTEMBER 8 is yet another day set aside to celebrate an important concern: literacy.

This day becomes even more relevant to us now considering the failing marks we have received in terms of coping with the Millennium Development Goals for 2015.

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"If the Philippines wants to achieve the MDGs without major disparities, then focus must be put on Mindanao where the indicators are far below many of the national averages," Vanessa Tobin, UNICEF country representative, was quoted as saying by UN media.

Tobin was specifically underlining the numbers in the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (Armm) where only 40% of children complete primary school as compared to the 75% national average.

But we need not look far where conflict has stunted development.

Last June, Davao started with poor figures in education, with no less than the Department of Education raising concern over the region's dropout rates, especially in elementary school.

We need to constantly remind ourselves that while our schools may look as if there's enough of them, and our children seem to be going to school, there are more who fall through the gaps created by inadequate services.

As stated in the Unesco website for the celebration of International Literacy Day, "Literacy is a human right" as it is the road to human development. Anyone who cannot read and write will be the first to fall in the gaps of inadequate resources.

As the literature in the website further states, "A good quality basic education equips pupils with literacy skills for life and further learning; literate parents are more likely to send their children to school; literate people are better able to access continuing educational opportunities; and literate societies are better geared to meet pressing development."

Through the years, we can say that local governments have been able to put in a little more to the meager national budget for education and thus we see more classrooms and education facilities.

But as we should notice by now, infrastructure support is never enough. It is just a part of the whole solution. The bigger problem lies in keeping the children in school so they will imbibe the benefits of literacy as they grow to take over the reins of governance and of citizenry.

One thing we can be sure of, they will grow and take over the reins. One thing we can only hope by placing priority in education for all is that they are become capable leaders and productive citizens. This will all depend on whether we focus on literacy and education for all, now.