06/09/2026
Tomorrow, Tuesday 8th of September, is International Literacy Day.
For 60 years, International Literacy Day (ILD) has taken place on 8 September around the world to remind policy-makers, practitioners, and the public of the critical importance of literacy for creating a more literate, just, peaceful, and sustainable society.
This year's theme is literacy for people, the planet and prosperity.
With all the noise and busy-ness of responding to the multitude of headwinds (crises) we face in Tasmania, we risk losing sight of the important progress we have made in our aspiration for 100% literacy. Not prioritising and appropriately resourcing our efforts to ensure *all* Tasmanians are supported to become literate threatens the state's longer term prosperity and the ability to mitigate against these headwinds.
For those young Tasmanians who start behind or experience other challenges to learning to read and write, it is critically important that they receive the support and intervention they need, when they need it, and at the intensity they need, to enable them to enjoy the life long benefits of being literate.
Being supported to become literate is not only a fundamental human right, it has the power to change the life trajectory for a person, their family, a community and an economy.
ILD 2026 provides an opportunity to take stock of progress, deepen understanding of persistent and emerging challenges, and shape future literacy agendas in a rapidly changing world.
There is no doubt that Tasmania is in the midst of a challenging juncture. The best opportunity we have to shape the prosperity of our future and our place is by prioritising our investment in our people - their literacy - and thus their ability to participate fully in civic life, society and our economy.
International Literacy Day | All you need to know about this day: date, history...
