Literacy key to sustainable development � Tau
Lerato Maleke | Thursday October 2, 2014 09:00
The United Nations, in 1965, set aside September 8 to commemorate the day, all thanks to the relentless motivation by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
Officiating at the celebrations held in Mochudi, executive director of BOCODOL Dr Daniel Tau said that Botswana is no exception and has an obligation to join the rest of the world to end illiteracy.
Tau said that the 2014 commemorations, for which theme was ‘Literacy and Sustainable Development’ marked the beginning of the Decade for Education for Sustainable Development (DESD). This, he said, stressed the importance of literacy and its contributions towards achievement of sustainable development.
He said at the centre of sustainability are critical components such as human wellbeing, environment, society and economy. Tau said that these components are intertwined and interdependent, adding that a compromise on one component inevitably translates into the compromise of the rest of the components, leading to failure on their part to effectively ensure sustainable development.
“Arguably, the reason why nations are inundated with a plethora of social ills, environmental issues, economic hardships and unacceptably low levels of quality of life is because of their failure to effectively embrace the principles of sustainable development, and ensure a holistic and balanced treatment of its constituent components,” he explained.
Further, he said that the ability of nations to effectively embrace sustainable development is influenced by the levels of literacy. He said that on the contrary, unsustainable human pursuits are predominately found in contexts where literacy is low.
He said that the UN launched the DESD with the objective to integrate the principles, values and practices of sustainable development into all aspects of education and learning.
Its vision depicts a world where everyone has the opportunity to benefit from education and learn the values, behaviour and lifestyles required for a sustainable future and for positive societal transformation, beginning with the individual.
Moreover, Tau said that literacy forms the foundation of all education efforts and that it is a practical tool of empowerment on each of the three main pillars of sustainable development; those being economic development, social development and environmental protection.
He said that research shows that nations with enriched and balanced design of literacy and basic education go beyond just the basic mechanisms of reading and writing to embrace life skills and relevant content, empower their citizens to participate and partake in facilitating sustainable development.
Tau noted that literate individuals have the potential to increase their knowledge by participating in developments of their communities, or continue to further learning and that individuals have the ability to cope with life changes as well as challenges.