Welcome news from the Ministry of Education is that literacy rates are increasing in the Kingdom. In a report on the subject, it revealed that illiteracy has fallen by 70 percent over the last 40 years. As reported in The Saudi Gazette a few days ago, the report stated that since 1970 when the country had an overall illiteracy rate of 60 percent, the ministry and its Adult Education Administration started working to bring the rates down. It now stands at 18.5 percent for women and 7.3 percent for men. This is positive for the country because there is clearly a greater possibility for these people to get better employment and support their families. It can also contribute in the long run to the development of this country. There must certainly also be a certain satisfaction for many adults to finally be able to read and write. The ministry's report went further and outlined that three years ago, 3,444 adult education centers were opened across the country enabling 80,000 people to enroll. A further 75,000 obtained an education through the “Educated Local District Program” launched in 2005. There are reportedly some problems, however, with many abandoning classes over the timing of the classes, which start immediately after Maghrib prayers and end at 9 P.M. Some argue it would be better for students to start after Isha prayer, after they have been home to see their families. This is understandable, and perhaps some accommodation can be found. There are also concerns over the days that classes should be held, overcrowded classes with up to 30 students per teacher, and a lack of instruction in arithmetic. Others say that one year of classes is not enough while some want more than the SR1,000 government benefit for taking the courses. Of particular concern, is classes in the remote, rural areas where there are no housing facilities for teachers and the teacher's pay of SR2,800 after social insurance is insufficient, particularly for married teachers with children. There are also concerns about punctuality, with some adults arriving late and disrupting the entire study program. Despite these difficulties, officials at the Ministry of Education believe that the country will be fully literate within three years. This is an extremely ambitious target, but we commend the ministry for setting the bar high and working hard toward it. __
