Yesterday was the International Literacy Day. It was proclaimed by the United Nations on October 17, 1965 and first celebrated in 1966. Its purpose is to promote and enhance community action to educate the needy.

Despite the steady rise in literacy rates over the last 50 years, there are still around 750 million adults worldwide unable to read and write. Most of them are girls and women.

In Bulgaria, the number of elementary school-age children who have not attended school has increased from over 5,000 in 2012 to almost 19,000 in 2016, according to UNESCO.

The highest percentage of illiterate adults is found in the poorest countries in Africa. Low literacy and educational problems are causing economic, social and financial damage to society. They lead to a deterioration in the quality of the workforce, a fall in consumption and payment of taxes and a decrease in the standard of living.

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