Oman aims to eliminate adult illiteracy totally by next year

MUSCAT: The number of teachers working in literacy centres in various governorates of the Sultanate of Oman during the academic year (2022-2023) stood at 8,631, whereas 2,623 adults were enrolled in literacy programmes in the same academic year.

This was revealed as the country joins Unesco and world countries to mark the ‘International Literacy Day’ which is celebrated on September 8 every year.

As a result of the strategy adopted by the Ministry of Education, including special activities to achieve literacy programmes and projects and speed up the eradication of illiteracy, Oman had seen its illiteracy rate dropping to 2.60 among the age group 15 years and above, according to the 2022 data of the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI).

In order to achieve the desired goal of the Arab Decade, which is for the Sultanate of Oman to be free of illiteracy by the end of 2024, the Ministry of Education focused on eradicating the illiteracy of the productive age group (15-44) during this decade period.

The statistics received from the authorities showed the percentage of illiteracy in the aforementioned age group reached (0.44%) by the end of 2023 as compared to the percentage for the same category in the year 2015, the beginning of the Arab Decade period, this percentage was (2.2%). This is considered a qualitative achievement in eliminating illiteracy in the aforementioned category, and Oman seeks to achieve its commitment by 2024.

As part of the celebrations, the Sultanate of Oman, represented by the ministry, will highlight the most significant efforts, projects and programmes it undertakes to eradicate illiteracy.

This year the International Literacy Day will be celebrated under the theme ‘Promoting literacy for a world in transition: Building the foundation for sustainable and peaceful societies’.

Since the academic year 1973-1974, the Sultanate of Oman has been working hard to limit and eventually eliminate all forms of illiteracy - reading, writing, cultural and civilisational illiteracy. The country is committed to the principle of ‘the right to education for all’ without discrimination on the basis of genders or age groups in confirmation that education is a guaranteed right for all.