Over 400,000 people enrolled in anti-illiteracy programs

462,000 people are enrolled in anti-illiteracy programs, said Thursday secretary of State in charge of Literacy and Informal Education, Anis Birou.

In an exposé presented during the government council, the minister indicated that women account for 80.3% of the people who attended the literacy courses and 56.2% are from the rural world.

He said 33,000 children benefited from informal education courses, including 64% of girls.

Speaking at a press briefing following the weekly cabinet meeting, Moroccan minister of Communication, Spokesman of the Government, Nabil Benabdallah said Morocco is resolved to eradicate illiteracy through the illiteracy-eradication national project that aims at eradicating illiteracy for 5 million Moroccans by 2010. The project also ambitions to reduce the illiteracy rate for adult in the age group of 15-41 to 17% in 2010.

The minister noted that 400,000 trainers and some MAD 1.9 billion (nearly US$ 220 million) for a five-year period are needed to achieve these objectives.