Myanmar has been striving for the increase of the country's adult literacy rate annually with the figures attaining 94.83 percent in 2008, the official newspaper New Light of Myanmar reported Tuesday.
The report attributed the attainment to the concerted efforts of the Ministry of Education, international agencies, governmental and non-governmental organizations, regional and local authorities and the communities.
Further increase of the literacy rate is being strived, it said.
Noting that Myanmar's special literacy program in border areas, initiated in 1996, is regarded as one of the best practices in Asia and the Pacific region, the report said, initiation of Community Learning Centers (CLC), being introduced by the Education Research Bureau, helps newly literate learners to gain good foundation for basic literacy.
The report underlined that self-reliance village libraries, initiated by the Ministry of Information, are of great support forneo-literates for the attainment of literacy and other literate persons for the enrichment of their knowledge and information aimed at rural development.
To help support the literacy-related activities, Literacy Resource Center was established in 2000.
Myanmar's adult literacy rate stood 94.35 percent in 2006, 94.1percent in 2005 and 83 percent in 1996.
In its drive to increase the adult literacy rate annually, the government has extended informal primary education program and mobile school program for economically difficult people to attend classes and over-school-age children.
In the mean time, literacy for illiterate adults and continuing education programs are also being implemented nationwide.
In the formal education sector, efforts for 100-cent enrollment for all school-age children and all students to complete basic education have been made as a mass movement.
To increase student enrollment rate, the government has opened over 6,000 post-primary schools, while exerting efforts for children to finish primary education and to complete their middle school education.
Other official statistics also show that Myanmar had 40,553 basic education schools as of 2007, of which 1,694 are with multi media classrooms. The number of teachers and students went to 260,000 and 8.83 million respectively.
The education authorities also urged more active participation in the literacy campaign to improve the education and socio-economic life of the people.
Meanwhile, Myanmar and its fellow members of the Southeast Asia Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) have agreed to cooperate in bringing down the number of illiterate children in Southeast Asia.
According to a memorandum of understanding reached recently between Myanmar and the SEAMEO, a more structured framework for expanding cooperation in education, science and culture across the region is to be worked out.
SEAMEO was formed in November 1965 as a chartered international organization to promote cooperation in education, science and culture in the Southeast Asia.
Myanmar joined the SEAMEO in 1998.
Source: Xinhua
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