Report: Arab illiteracy is rising

[sharonbn]

During the convention of Arab ministers of education, which was held last month in Tunis, an internal report was presented by the Arab organization for education, culture and science (Alikso). The report was published last week on "Al Hayatt" newspaper. The report states that the portion of illiterate Arabs in the Arab world is twice the number in the world.

The report further states that the number of illiterate over the age of 15 is in constant rise in the last 30 years in the Arab world: from 50 million in 1970 to 61 million in 1990 and 70 million this year - 35% of the Arab population. At the same time, the general world population enjoyed a sharp decline in illiteracy from 73% in 1970 down to 19% today.

According to the Report, Egypt has the largest illiterate community with 17 million. After Egypt come Sudan, Algeria, Morocco and Yemen. The countries with the least illiterate are Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and the PA.

The Alikso report observes that this year will mark the first time when the Arab illiterate ratio becomes first in the world, after taking that position from the African countries. The report details sections that have high rate of illiteracy: children between 15-19 and women, with close to 50% illiteracy.

The report determines that Arab states have failed their obligations to maintain the same percentage of illiteracy. The obligation was taken in the World Convention in Thailand in 1990. The report emphasized that the Arab countries must put the fight on illiteracy as first priority and should do all that is in their power to deal with the "dangerous gaps" between the sexes and economical classes. The report specifically mentioned women in rural areas as a good starting place and stated that refugees, immigrants and prisoners should not be neglected.

In addition, Dr. Muhammad Abu Ahmad from Tunis stated that only 0.2% of the Internet surfing community come from Arab countries.

* translated from Ynet.

[Sumud]

The situation is appalling enough without misrepresentation.

Arab illiteracy is rising? No, it's falling. Far too slowly.

The number of illiterate people has risen, but that's due to rising populations. The percentage of illiterate people in the population is falling.

It looks like someone is having a small problem with 'innumeracy'.

And it's ALECSO, not ALIKSO.

[Justcurious]

The situation is appalling enough without misrepresentation.

Arab illiteracy is rising? No, it's falling. Far too slowly.

The number of illiterate people has risen, but that's due to rising populations. The percentage of illiterate people in the population is falling.

It looks like someone is having a small problem with 'innumeracy'.

And it's ALECSO, not ALIKSO.

No, illiteracy may be rising, but literacy is falling perhaps!

Incidentally, according to this following link, the same thing is taking place in the US, but I'm sure there are uptodate and realiable statistics showing the current situation. Has anyone got links?

http://www.heinemann.com/shared/onli...ths.html#myth5

[SteveMetch]

Is someone considered literate when they can only read the Koran? The Islamic Hate indoctrination education that many of this Muslims receive is worse than no education at all. They enter the modern world with skills unmarketable for any productive endeavor.

The sooner fundamentalist Islam is removed from the culture the better. It’s only their oil wealth that has allowed them to assume the facade of modernity. There culture is still trapped in the 7th century Arabian Desert. Hopefully Iraq will be the start of their liberation from this demonic religious system.

[Luke90]

No, illiteracy may be rising, but literacy is falling perhaps!

No, I suspect Sumud was right.
I don't have the actual figures but I expect the population growth outweighs the increase in the number of illiterate people meaning that percentage literacy would actually be rising.

[Justcurious]

No, I suspect Sumud was right.
I don't have the actual figures but I expect the population growth outweighs the increase in the number of illiterate people meaning that percentage literacy would actually be rising.

The ratio may be different percentagewise and populationwise. But I'm sure you got my point.

[Mediocrates]

2003 UNDP Arab Human Development Report Executive Summary

http://www.undp.org/rbas/ahdr/ahdr2/...R03ExSum_E.pdf

BTW the focus of that report was the development of a knowledge society.

http://www.undp.org/rbas/ahdr/englishpresskit2003.html


The report was developed by Arabs for Arabs so of course page 2 of the 13 page exec summary is about evil zionist yadda yadda but the rest of the summary is about the topic of the report.

[Sumud]

No, illiteracy may be rising, but literacy is falling perhaps!

It's a little like saying that air travel is now more dangerous than ever before becuase there are more accidents than in the past. When you consider that there are more air-miles' flown than ever before, it's clear that it is becoming safer.

So accidents are rising, but it's safer perhaps!

[minusthejihad]

Either way, through over-population or illiteracy, this is great news for me.

[eyl]

Either way, through over-population or illiteracy, this is great news for me.

How, exactly, is this great news?

[Luke90]

How, exactly, is this great news?

Good question. I can't really see any positives to it. More illiterate people means more people who can't have access to any outside sources of information and only get whatever propaganda their government chooses to spread.

[Mediocrates]

Pretty clearly the Arab world is headed off the rails in the next 20-30 years. Even if they were to grow socially, economically 15-20% a year, which is pure fantasy given their historical rates of less than half that of the west, they would still be in very poor shape. Arab countries are exploding without limit. Egypt stands to be the most populous country in Africa by far. Cairo will be larger than Lagos. Yemen is poised to grow to over 55 million people by 2030. Saudi Arabia will be 75% under the age of 15 in less than 20 years. In the aggregate the Arab world is expected to grow from 280 million to 400 million at the low and over 550 million at the high side by 2030. And Pakistan alone is expected to grow from 96 million people to 360 million (2050).Today overy unemployment hovers, country to country in the 15-20% but with an additional invisible unemployment in the form of do-nothing government jobs, of another 20%+. Demands on everything from electricity to fresh water to food to healthcare have already outstripped their ability to deliver. Fully one half of their population is kept out of schools and the workplace (women). Literacy and scientific development is falling or flat. Industrial development is clustered on a non renewable resource which may be running out in the next 40-70 years. The Arab states will have to create 150 million jobs in the next 20 years just to stay within site of the lowered expectations they have right now.

So you have an exploding population, weak social fabric, repressive totalitarian monarchical governments, exclusion of large segments from schools and work, raging unemployment and a complete unwillingness to even discuss the problem let alone take any steps to deal with it.

It'll be messy and bumpy but if we can hold on for about 30 years, this may solve itself. The only real question we have to ask is how much do we truly want to be involved? Since the end of WW2 the west has been involved in the Green Revolution, UNESCO and hundreds of other 'nation building' and societal programs all over the world. Some have worked, some have not. But few have ever been tried in the mideast/north africa/west asia because the leaders there, frankly weren't interested in outside interference.

But looking forward it really won't be the classic case of attempting to help a failed country or feed people after one or two bad crop years. The problems will be pandemic, systemic, pervasive and insoluable. They will be so massive that even if all the autocrats of all the Wazooistans surrendered it would still not be fixable. And they are not surrendering so soon. It is an entire region that has lived on Dad's credit card for 60 years, doing whatever the hell popped into their heads and never worrying about tomorrow as long as oil flowed. And when that bill comes due the crash will be spectactular.

[Justcurious]

At last a table showing literacy rates:

http://www.phrasebase.com/countries/...rate&submit=Go

If you find a brand new one, please post the link!

[Luke90]

At last a table showing literacy rates:

http://www.phrasebase.com/countries...yrate&submit=Go

I hadn't realised how uneducated the people of Guernsey are. Disgraceful.
Where did they get those random figures from?

[Justcurious]

I hadn't realised how uneducated the people of Guernsey are. Disgraceful.
Where did they get those random figures from?

There are several zeros indeed. I think the more likely figure for Antarctica with all its scientific explorers must be higher than 0. They countries with no information could have been left out altogether.