Ali Bagher Zadeh, the Deputy Minister of Education and the Chairman of the Literacy Movement Organization said that two thirds of illiterates in the world were women.
“From the 2,700,000 illiterates in Iran, aged between 10 to 49 years, close to 1,800,000 are women,” he said.
According to these figures, illiteracy rates in some provinces go over 30% and a significant percent belong to children under 17 years of age who have been denied education. Most of these children’s parents are also uneducated…
Reports indicate that there is evidence to suggest that these statistics are unrealistic and women’s illiteracy rates are likely much higher. The southern cities of Iran are on top of the list of girls’ illiteracy rates. Sistan and Baluchestan, with its 11 cities, is among the top provinces in girls’ illiteracy rates and Khuzestan is next with three cities. After these comes Western Azarbaijan and East Azarbaijan provinces which are fourth on the list. Statistics on female school dropouts in western Khuzestan and border towns of Iran and Iraq are also very alarming. (Asre Iran state-run Website, Radio Zamaneh – Mar. 31, 2018)
