TEHRAN, Dec. 28 (MNA) – Iran has one of the highest literacy rates in the region, thanks to the Literacy Movement Organization.

Following the victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979, late Imam Khomeini issued a directive ordering establishment of Literacy Movement Organization (LMO) to improve the country’s literacy rate. He ordered the authorities to consider education as significant as healthcare and social welfare.

Iran accomplished great scientific and academic achievements under the leadership of Imam Khomeini and became the most literate country in the Middle-East and a role model for the whole Muslim Ummah, Institute for Compilation and Publication of Imam Khomeini's Works says.

Imam’s motto of “Education for All” was seriously adopted and free education was provided in all parts of the country.

The Literacy Movement Organization (LMO) successful reduced the illiteracy rate from 52.5 per cent in 1976 to 24 per cent, at the last count in 2002.



Talking about the literacy rate in Iran, Head of the Literacy Movement Organization Ali Baqerzadeh said according to the Statistical Center of Iran in 2011, the condition of 4 million Iranians was not clear.

“The minimum literacy skills in 130 countries is the ability to read and write while some other countries add calculation as well however in Iran we should add Quran reading to all the above,” he added.

“In Iran 3,456,000 people belonging to the age group of 10-49 are illiterate which is equal to 7 percent of the group’s population.”

The Iranian official added that the method of counting has changed in the country. Some 52 million people of the age of 10-46 are identified and each of them hold an education record based on their ID number. Out of the mentioned number 3 million are identified as illiterate.

As of December 21, over 400,000 people have registered in literacy classes which are equal to 80 percent of our programs in the current Iranian year. 78 percent of women and 22 percent of men received education, he added.

Talking about the children under the age of 10, he added “the Iranian Parliament’s law is to cover the age of 10-49, however, a new ratification allows us to include children under the age of 10 which are at risk.”

“Illiterate people are not allowed to receive a driving license and the licenses of uneducated people will not be renewed. Also, work permit will not be issued to such people,” he said.

By Mehr News Agency