World Literacy Day: Malda sets target to touch 90% literacy mark in 10 yrs

Malda: Malda celebrated World Literacy Day at the Town Hall in English Bazar by distributing learning kits for special children and felicitating teachers of the district.

These teachers have played a pivotal role in the spread of mass education in the district. The programme was organised by the district Mass Education and Library Services department with the help of the district administration.

The day also marked Malda’s 12 per cent increase in mass literacy in the last 10 years. The department has set a target of touching the 90 per cent mark in the next 10 years.

Sangeet Sundar Mandal, mass education officer, said: “The literacy rate was 65 per cent in the district in 2011. Now it has risen to almost 76 per cent. We have also taken up the target to take it to 90 per cent in the next 10 years. Blocks like Kaliachak, Ratua, and Harishchandrapur will be given importance where the rate of literacy is a bit poor.”

The theme for International Literacy Day 2023 is ‘Promoting literacy for a world in transition: Building the foundation for sustainable and peaceful societies’. UNESCO on October 26, 1966, at the 14th session of its General Conference declared that September 8 would be celebrated as International Literacy Day (ILD).