70 million Arabs still unable to read or write
Although illiteracy rates are generally falling in Arab countries, rising populations mean that the total numbers of people unable to either read or write continue to increase, an Arab League body devoted to education and culture said on Sunday.
The report, by the Arab League Education, Science and Culture Organisation (Alesco) said that some 70 million people aged over 15 in League member countries were illiterate.
It also said that almost half of all women in the countries concerned -- 46.5 percent -- were unable to read or write, as against a rate of 25.1 percent amongst men.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. The report noted however that as a percentage of total populations, the number of illiterates had fallen over the past 35 years.
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