Summer campaigns reduce illiteracy

NAJRAN: Minister of Education Azzam Al-Dakhil said the summer campaign to raise awareness about the eradication of illiteracy achieved great successes in reducing the rates of illiteracy, noting that the illiteracy rates of the Saudi population fell from 17.74 percent in 2004 to 6.81 percent now.
The Ministry of Education opened wide new horizons for national development in a number of regions and governorates across the Kingdom by launching the summer campaigns for awareness and illiteracy eradication. It is a national project which includes educational campaigns implemented in remote communities where educational services are available.
The minister was speaking during his inspection tour of a project being implemented in Najran. “This is an excellent and dynamic national project, involving many ministries and government agencies , including the Ministries of Islamic Affairs, Health, Agriculture and Social Affairs,” explained the minister.
He said conducting field surveys on the education, health and social conditions of the targeted segment of the people with cooperation of the government sectors represented the objective basis of the project.
Al-Dakhil said that the Ministry of Education offers educational services by teaching the Holy Qur’an, religious science, reading and writing skills and other natural sciences in addition to other awareness, health and social care services.
“The campaigns offered also veterinary services for livestock treatment on the types of diseases that infected animals and human infectious diseases, and how to prevent them,” said the minister. He added the project offered financial rewards to beneficiaries in order to encourage them to participate, and provided transport services in addition to some financial aids donated by a number of civil society organizations and businessmen.
Al-Dakhil recently visited a number of schools in Najran hit by Houthis shells from across the border. The education director in Najran Nasser Al-Munie accompanied the minister in his inspection tour.
The minister asked education officials in the region to prepare school buildings for the coming academic year. He commended the steps taken by the Najran Education Department to terminate the current academic year early in view of the Houthi shelling of the city.