[NLA] National Literacy Day?

[Winston Lawrence]

Thanks to Daphne and Cecil. Isn't this interesting? International Literacy
Day was designated since 1967 by the United Nations as a day to highlight
the importance of literacy in the development process. The day is
celebrated all across the globe.( US Citizens hardly hear about it.) Why
should the US declare its own National Literacy Day on July 2? Why did
Congress and Senior President Bush agree to have a separate day? This is so
funny! Declaring National Literacy Day when children are on vacation and
schools are officially closed for the summer. Are they against the work of
the United Nations? Was it to deflect the world's attention from the
illiteracy problem in the US?  Would it not make more sense to join with
the rest of the world in declaring war on illiteracy domestically in the
same way that we seek other nations' help when we want to declare physical
war on other nations?
winston
At 11:30 AM 7/2/02 -0500, you wrote:
>Who knew? Geez, I thought Sept. 8 was National Literacy Day. Or is that 
>International Literacy Day? Or Literacy Appreciation Day? Why do we have 
>two dates (7/2 and 9/8) designated as literacy day--how is one different 
>from the other? How should each be acknowledged and "celebrated"? Seems 
>like there are several issues at root here: (1) forgetting our history, (2) 
>general lack of focus in the "literacy field", and (3) inattention to 
>important symbolic events that call to mind the significant role of 
>literacy in society.
>
>Thanks, Daphne, for bringing this to our attention.
>
>Daphne Greenberg wrote: "Today is National Literacy Day and it is 
>interesting to me that we don't
>make much of a deal out of it."
>
>
>M Cecil Smith, Ph.D.
>Professor of Educational Psychology
>Northern Illinois University
>
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>
>




--------------------------------
Dr Winston Lawrence
Coordinator of Adult Literacy Services
Literacy Assistance Center
32 Broadway 10th Floor
NY NY 10004
winstonl at lacnyc.org
Tel. (212) 803-3326
Fax:(212) 785-3685
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