PARIS, Sept 09, 2023 (BSS)-Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni has called for enriching and transforming the ongoing education system through an integrated and inclusive approach.

She made the call at the UNESCO conference in Paris yesterday on the occasion of International Literacy Day-2023.

The education minister said that the existing education sector needs to be enriched and transformed through an integrated and inclusive approach, adding, ‘so that none is left behind to achieve lifelong literacy’.

She also introduced the concept of involving stakeholders and communities especially, the youth to strengthen the literacy movement.

Dr Dipu Moni highlighted the initiatives taken by the present government to promote literacy in the conference.

She expressed that the literacy rate has already increased tremendously in the 2023 Literacy Assessment Survey, as it was 53.70 percent in 2011 and now 73.69 percent.

The minister informed the audience that this was achieved through good practice and collaboration with GOs (Government Offices), NGOs (Nongovernment Organizations) and development partners.

She also attended the award giving ceremony of the UNESCO International Literature Prize-2023.

A Bangladeshi NGO named 'Bandhutta' has received the UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy for their work in promoting literacy among the disadvantaged groups.

Stefania Giannini, Assistant Director General for Education of the UNESCO and Ministers of Education of Senegal, Benin and Ecuador also joined the international conference.

Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni later joined the conference as a member of the High Level Steering Committee on Transforming Education.

The theme of the conference was to achieve SDG target 4.6 with an emphasis on youth and adult literacy through adequate financing.

It will implement programs, content and practices that explore ways to enrich the culture of lifelong learning.