How do we confront traditional and digital illiteracy? Specialists reveal to Al-Youm

Arab Literacy Eradication Day

Educator Ghazil Al-Shahrani said that despite the efforts made, illiteracy still represents a challenge in some Arab societies, and the reasons for its persistence are due to the interplay of several economic, social and political factors, the most prominent of which are economic factors and poverty. Education is free in many countries, but the provision of costs and supplies for learning remains an obstacle for the poorest groups.

She added that the tendency of some societies to rapid manual or vocational education at the expense of long academic education, in addition to the weakness of teaching methods and the difficulty of the curricula, contribute to the student’s feeling of failure, which prompts him to leave school permanently in what is known as school dropout.

She pointed to the emergence of a new gap represented by the inability to use technology, which hinders the social and economic integration of individuals even if They were fluent in traditional reading and writing.

Literacy

Al-Shahrani indicated that by 2026, literacy is no longer just learning to read and write, but rather it has become the comprehensive “key to empowerment” for the individual and society, and the cornerstone for achieving sustainable development, as the educated individual transforms from a consumer into a productive, active and participating element in building the knowledge economy.

She stressed that educational institutions are working hard to facilitate ways and humanize systems to suit the circumstances of those wishing to learn, And to overcome the difficulties they encounter during their educational journey.

It presented a number of proposals to enhance literacy efforts, including turning to the use of smart applications and educational platforms to facilitate distance learning and with flexible times, linking the completion of programs with obtaining professional licenses or immediate employment opportunities, and continuing to launch media campaigns to raise comprehensive community awareness of the importance of receiving education, in addition to investing in community partnership to support learners and motivate them to continue seeking education and eradicating illiteracy.

The importance of eradicating illiteracy. Illiteracy improves the quality of life

Associating Professor of Curricula and Teaching Methods, Dr. Amira Saad Al-Zahrani said that illiteracy is one of the societal issues that still face some Arab societies, despite the rapid educational and technical development, noting that the reasons for its persistence are due to several factors, most notably poverty and weak awareness of the importance of education.

In addition to social and economic conditions that prevent individuals from enrolling in educational programs.

She explained that eradicating illiteracy contributes to improving the quality of life by raising the level of awareness among individuals and enabling them to manage their affairs. life, and participate effectively in the social and economic aspects.

Developing literacy programs

Al-Zahrani stressed that educational and community institutions have an important role in developing literacy programs and making them more effective and sustainable, keeping pace with the requirements of contemporary life, pointing to the need to expand these efforts to include all age groups and not be limited to a specific group.

She stressed the importance of providing programs that focus on various segments because of its impact on community development and reducing… Illiteracy, stressing that with the emergence of electronic illiteracy, the need arises to address various forms of illiteracy and build a conscious society capable of keeping pace with modern changes.

In turn, digital education expert Dr. Tahani Al-Dasimani said that literacy programs contribute significantly to improving the quality of life by empowering individuals with reading, writing, and mathematics skills, which reflects positively on their opportunities to obtain better jobs and improve their social conditions.

Enhancing health and social awareness

She added that these programs enhance health and social awareness, and support individuals’ active participation in their community’s issues, which contributes to supporting economic and social development, in addition to their role in reducing the educational gap between different groups of society and promoting the principle of Equal opportunities.

Al-Dasimani stressed that educational and community institutions play a pivotal role in developing literacy programs by preparing flexible curricula that take into account the needs and circumstances of adult learners, stressing the importance of employing and investing in modern technologies and digital education means in these programs, and linking them to life and professional skills, while providing continuous support to ensure the sustainability of efforts and achieve tangible results that serve the individual and society.

The psychological and family counselor, Dr. Sarah Al-Subaie said that official statistics indicate that the illiteracy rate in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has no longer exceeded 2%, which is considered a historic achievement at the international level, and not just regional or continental. It is surprising that a country has made humans the focus of development.

Al-Subaie explained that the secret of this success lies in working within an interconnected and coordinated system that extends to all sectors, while dedicating human capabilities before material and technical ones to serve the desired goal, indicating that this organized approach contributed to addressing the problem radically, at a time when some countries are still suffering from high rates of illiteracy as a result of individual or traditional efforts, or because of various social, material and technical challenges.

She stressed that the key to success and development is It always lies in starting where others left off, keeping pace with rapid development and even ahead of it, investing in scientific and technical revolutions, and harnessing human wealth, pointing out that the human mind remains the greatest and most influential tool in the development process.

Fighting illiteracy

She pointed out that fighting illiteracy is achieved when children are protected from dropping out, adults are embraced without embarrassment, useful and life-related education is provided, and the entire community is involved, in addition to employing technology and technical solutions to open wide access windows. And high quality to the largest possible segment of beneficiaries.

Associate Professor at King Saud University and Emerging Technologies Advisor, Dr. Abeer bint Sulaiman Al-Humaydi said that education has become, in light of the great acceleration of civilization, a basic pillar for keeping pace with the requirements of daily life for members of society, stressing that illiteracy represents a burden on the individual himself before it is a burden on the state, especially in an era in which electronic communication has become the basis of the digital transformation that modern countries are witnessing.

Al-Humaydi explained that the individual’s ability to read and write, in addition to using technology, has become an essential element for facilitating business and dealing with systems in developed countries, pointing out that Not possessing these skills puts the individual in front of major economic and social obstacles that limit his integration and effective participation.

Encouraging education

She stressed that strengthening efforts aimed at encouraging education, distributing educational centers geographically, and ensuring that educational services reach the citizen in his place of residence, contributes to reducing the chances of neglecting these services, in light of the increasing need for them.

She indicated that adapting education to include diverse educational methods that take into account different abilities and inclinations, Facilitating access to knowledge is a decisive factor in raising rates of demand for learning, praising the Kingdom’s efforts that have resulted in a noticeable improvement in illiteracy indicators, and made it one of the countries that most encourages education, with the presence of large numbers of learners, even in advanced age groups, in addition to those holding higher degrees.

Al-Humaidi stressed that the focus at the current stage is on confronting technical illiteracy, and the simplified training programs that this requires, and working to simplify user interfaces in systems and applications. technology to suit different ages and educational groups, considering that this challenge represents a fundamental axis that should be included in strategies to combat illiteracy in modern countries.