Jordan Times
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Official reviews progress made in fight against illiteracy
AMMAN (JT) — Jordan ranks among the top three
countries in the region that rank high in the fight against illiteracy, with
less than 9 per cent of the Kingdom’s population unable to read or write, an
education official said on Tuesday.
Addressing a ceremony to mark the International Day for the Eradication of
Illiteracy, Ministry of Education Secretary General Tayseer Nueimi said the
country’s persistent efforts resulted in the leap from 88 per cent illiteracy in
1952 to as low as 8.9 per cent currently.
Nueimi said the Ministry of Education established 277 adult education and
literacy centres, all but 32 of which are for women, that are presently
providing basic education to 3,560 people.
The ministry provides stationary, textbooks and teachers as well as nurseries to
encourage women who attend the courses to stay in the programme.
Adult education and illiteracy centres (introduced in 1952) as well as mandatory
education until the age of 16 (which began in 1987) have all helped gradually
reduce illiteracy, which stood at 13 per cent in 2000, Nueimi said.
The ministry seeks to achieve the international goal of decreasing illiteracy
rates to 6 per cent by 2010 and completely eradicating it by 2015, he added.
According to Nueimi, Jordan is achieving the goals of the UNESCO’s World
Education Forum held in Dakar, Senegal, in April 2000, which are to provide
learning opportunities, achieve gender parity, eradicate illiteracy and improve
the quality of education.
The UNESCO Office Director in Amman Qutb Khan said there are 70 million
illiterate people in the Middle East, mainly in Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Sudan
and Yemen.
There are some seven million school-age children working and educational systems
in the region are facing challenges in terms of taking in children in increasing
numbers and keeping them from dropping out, Nueimi said.
At the end of the ceremony, Nueimi presented awards and prizes to the students
and teachers of adult literacy centres.