Three Out Of Ten Haitians Are Still Illiterate In Haiti

Updated June 6, 2017 10:33 AM

Illiteracy is the basic and the worst problem that we are facing today in this modern world. An illiterate person is like a handicapped person who is unfamiliar with the happenings in his surroundings, cannot even competently do own basic day to day activities; remain unaware of their rights and duties towards the society. Higher illiteracy in a country means less human capital or less knowledgeable and skilled people in the country. Haiti's illiteracy rate is the highest in the Western Hemisphere. As per UNICEF report (2008- 2012), only 48.7% of the Haitian adult population can read and write adequately. As per Gustavo Gallon's report (a U.N. independent expert) presented to the Geneva-based U.N. Human Rights Council on March 2015, roughly half of Haiti's 10 million people are unable to read or write and many can't avail their basic rights.

On Tuesday, June 15, 2015, the two days National Forum on Literacy and Adult Education around the theme "Working Together for Haiti free of illiteracy" has ended at the Ritz Kinam. The seminar was organized at the initiative of the Ministry of National Education and the Secretariat of State for Literacy (SEA) in the presence of several national and international partners. Renold Telfort, the Director General of the Ministry of National Education who inaugurated the Forum on behalf of the Minister Nesmy Manigat, invited all concerned sectors to play active contributory role for the revival of Haitian society. Mozart Clerisson, the Secretary of State for Literacy criticized the imperfect, deficient role played by the SEA during its 20 years of existence. He has emphasized that we should learn from the path we have travelled. Presently there are about 3,000 functioning literacy centers in 10 departments across 130 communes of the country within the framework of the 6th stage of the literacy campaign. The mission of the SEA is based on five main areas, viz., political, technical, financial, social and national. The objective of the forum was centered around on the remobilization of three main areas, like, (a) all the layers and all sectors of the society; (b) all former SEA partners; and (c) all the intelligences, skills and abilities in the society to find the necessary solutions for literacy improvement.

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Three Out Of Ten Haitians Are Still Illiterate In Haiti

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