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QUALITY AND RELEVANCE |
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Three sports celebrities, Stéphane Diagana, Emmanuel Petit and Laurent Cabannes, as well as children’s singer-songwriter, Dominique Dimey, will attend the International Literacy Day celebrations on 8 September in Madagascar. “The event is an excellent opportunity to press forward our action to make basic education a reality for all Malagasy children,” says Lene Buchert of UNESCO Paris. UNESCO is leading the Joint Malagasy Government - United Nations System Programme for the Promotion of Basic Education for All Malagasy Children as well as the ‘Hope and Solidarity through Ballgames’ Programme. |
International Literacy Day
On the 8th of September, for the last four decades, the world has celebrated International Literacy Day. Despite notable advances in many countries, over 771 million adults remain illiterate and over 100 million children have no access to school.
Literacy : a Challenge for Madagascar
In Madagascar, approximately 30 % of the population is literate, and only 37 % of students complete primary school. In light of the Joint Programme’s commendable progress in the battle against illiteracy and the completion of the Education for All and the Millennium Development Goals at a national level, the celebration of International Literacy Day 2005 in Madagascar, fully endorsed by the government, is of particular significance and scope. Having established a solid foundation for innovative policy action, this is an excellent opportunity to widen the national support network in order to scale-up and expand the Joint Programme’s efforts in making basic education a reality for all Malagasy children.
Celebrities in Action through Sport…
Associating sports and education, various sporting activities and official events will be organized in several regions of Madagascar during the first week of September with the participation of sports celebrities Stéphane DIAGANA, Emmanuel PETIT and Laurent CABANNES. By teaching basic socialization rules and by promoting a culture of peace, sports create the necessary conditions for a disadvantaged child’s healthy development and reintegration into society, eventually allowing them to find an appropriate path towards education.
…and Song
Joining the athletes in their educational efforts is children’s singer-songwriter Dominique DIMEY. Ms. Dimey is already extremely involved in defending and promoting awareness on children’s rights and environmental and sustainable development issues.
Literacy for All : a Global Challenge
The goal of the International Literacy Day initiative is to internationally expose the vital role of literacy and basic education in the larger processes of development and progress outlined in the Education for All and the Millennium Development Goals. The successful methodology of the programme in Madagascar is considered an example for other countries such as Sudan, Pakistan and Senegal. It is therefore essential for the international community as a whole to be aware of not only the celebration of International Literacy Day, but also of innovative and ground-breaking programmes such as the Joint Programme as a potential framework for reaching universal basic education throughout the world.
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Je joue au ballon,
je chante une chanson,
je chante les mots d'un refrain,
je compte les buts, les points, j’existe
et je ris de lire mon nom sur un tableau
sur un papier d’identité, ma liberté.
Moi qui n'ai jamais vu mon visage dans un miroir,
Moi qui n’ai jamais reçu une caresse sur ma joue
Je t’écris, je te lis, c’est moi, c’est toi, comme c’est bon !
je joue au ballon et je chante une chanson…
Dominique Dimey, 2005 |
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UNESCO & Primary Education |
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International commitments |
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