PHUKET, 8 September 2012 – The Non-Formal Education Department is holding an event to commemorate the International Literacy Day 2012 at the Royal Phuket City Hotel in Phuket province.
The International Literacy Day falls on September 8, as designated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The day is meant to help people in the society realize the importance of learning and the need to address the problem of illiteracy.
The Phuket celebration began with the reading of a message from Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to mark the Day by Mr. Boontan Dokthaisong, adviser to the Minister of Education. The Prime Minister’s message conveyed the government’s determination to improve the quality of education as an important tool to develop the nation. Towards that goal, the government has set as its main policy to spread education to every community, including areas populated by the poor and underprivileged.
A message from Irina Bokova, the Director-General of UNESCO, was also read out by Etienne Clement, deputy director of UNESCO Bangkok. The message pinpointed the special goal set for this year, which is the fundamental relationship between education and peace. Other activities in the celebration are the display of learning materials introducing the AEC, a talk on the subject of ‘Literacy in preparation for an entry into the AEC’, and an exhibition on literacy participated by over 500 teachers and staff of the Non-Formal Education Department.
