Kelebene is not alone in this predicament, In the whole world today, consequences of illiteracy are profound, even potentially life-threatening. They flow from the denial of a fundamental human rights, which is right to education, proclaimed in agreements ranging from 50 year old Universal Declaration of Human Rights to the 1989 Convention on the rights of the child, which is the world s most universally embraced human rights instrument. According to the Convention on the rights of the child, every child has a right to free primary education and access to secondary education as well as vocational training. Education, it says, develops the children s personality, talents, mental and physical abilities to their fullest for an active adult life in a free society. It defines education as the single most vital element in combating poverty, safeguarding children from exploitative and hazardous labour and sexual exploitation.
Education promotes human rights and is a path towards international peace and stability , it adds.
But, In the world today, more than 130 million children of primary school age in the developing countries are growing up without access to basic education. Over 855 million are illiterate. Fortunately, in Lesotho, some of the shepherds get literacy skills. Since the inception of the LDTC programme on Basic education in 1977, which teaches shepherds literacy skills and methods of starting income generating skills. Mrs Mngadi indicated that last year they had 154 literacy graduates in the centres.