Mexico, along with Egypt and Cote d’Ivoire, was awarded this year’s UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy on Monday, Sept. 27, in Qufu, home of the great Shang Dynasty philosopher in China’s Shandong Province.

Mexico received the award for its “Building & Growing” public education program, while Egypt got the award for an online rural literacy project and Cote D’Ivoire was recognized for a functional literacy program for traders in Abidjan through the use of information and communications technology.

Due to the ongoing covid-19 pandemic, the winners received their awards through an online ceremony, which was part of a weeklong celebration of the 2,572nd birthday of Confucius.

Qin Changwei, secretary-general of the Chinese National Commission for UNESCO, said this year’s prizes were focused on the eradication of functional illiteracy and digital empowerment.

The Confucius Prize for Literacy was established in 2005 to recognize the efforts of individuals, governments and NGOs in raising global literacy rates.

An educator and philosopher, Confucius (551-479 B.C.), founded Confucianism.

He also established China’s first private schools that enrolled students from different social classes.