Literacy is not only confined to the ability of reading and writing, rather it is an extensive bridge through which any nation can walk through the ladder of success by making a prominent presence in the world.
From igniting minds to facilitating communication throughout the world, literacy reigns everywhere. Literacy is the foundation of building a prospectus nation. How much emphasis any nation puts on uplifting the quality of education and literacy rate sets its future. Let’s dig deeper into how powerful a tool literacy can be for any nation.
Why is literacy important for any nation?
Stepping up the ladder of empowerment
Empowerment is what drives any nation forward. Literacy enables people to step up the ladder of empowerment. One thing to be kept in mind is that empowerment is impossible without the ignition of literacy.
Creating a distinct position in the whole world
With a higher literacy rate and quality education, any nation can strengthen its global position distinctively. In this modern era of globalization, literacy can propel any nation to compete globally on different aspects, thus ascertaining a dominant global position.
Excelling in digital literacy
The first condition to be a competent digital citizen is to have basic literacy skills. Literate people always are in quest of learning new things and it makes them even more enlightened. Only literate people can adapt well to the fast-changing technological era. So, mastering the art of digital literacy is not possible without being literate.
Catalyst for social change and inclusion
Literacy can build a more equitable society by empowering individuals of all communities and driving social change. The societal inequalities related to race, ethnicity, religion, and overall societal status can be reduced to a greater extent with the sparkle of literacy.
Stabilizing gender equality
The societal norms and structures particularly biased towards men can be challenged through literacy power. Hence, there will be no place for gender inequality where all the citizens of a nation are educated.
Ensuring economic advancement
If anyone wants a better quality of life and secured employment with decent salaries, he or she must have strong literacy knowledge. Any nation with a maximum number of literate citizens is sure to be economically progressed and stand out among other nations in terms of economic advancement.
How can developing nations use literacy to compete with developed nations?
- Through a skilled and literate workforce, foreign investments can be attracted which will boost the economic growth of a developing nation.
- By fostering innovation and entrepreneurship, literacy can enable individuals from developing or underdeveloped nations to start their businesses and create job opportunities.
- Through huge investments in education and technology, developing nations with literate individuals can compete with other technologically advanced nations in the global marketplace.
- The soft power of developing nations, which means their ability to influence others through culture, values, and ideas, can be enhanced by the power of literacy.
- Literate populations are capable of engaging in global collaboration and partnership with developed nations.
Now, let’s have a closer look at three nations that have successfully exerted literacy power to make massive transformations for a bright future.
Singapur
Singapur has gained remarkable economic progress through its educational and literacy power. The education system of Singapore is world-renowned and the high literacy rate has made this country an attractive destination for foreign investment, thus making it a global financial center.
South Korea
South Korea’s rapid transformation from a war-torn country to a global economic powerhouse is largely attributed to its high emphasis on the educational sector and its commitment to creating a skilled workforce.
India
Despite being a highly populated country and diverse challenges, India has made a drastic transformation in its economy because of its high focus on growing literacy rates in recent years. In fact, because of high investment in education, especially in STEM fields, rapid economic progress is prevalent in this developing country.
Therefore, literacy is the seed of success. It is high time for a developing nation like Bangladesh to invest more in education, promote literacy programs, and create a learning environment so that everyone benefits from literacy. To sum up, we should embrace the transformative power of literacy and build a better tomorrow for ourselves and generations to come.
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Writer
Taspia
Intern, Content Writing Department
YSSE