Kuwait marks UNESCO Int’l Literacy Day

Kuwait celebrates UNESCO's International Literacy Day (ILD) on Sunday, with significant achievements at both Gulf and Arab levels. Since its establishment, Kuwait had always been exerting efforts in the literacy field. The country's total spending for the academic year 2023-2024 was 12.6 percent of the state budget. The literacy rate for males in 2024 is 0.14 percent with a two percent for females. In 1957, Kuwait launched centers for literacy across the country. After its independence, Kuwait issued article number 11/1965 on mandatory education for all Kuwaiti male and female children, from primary school to intermediate school. For those who wished to continue their studies after graduating from the primary level in the literacy centers, Kuwait opened the first middle school class in 1959-1960. In 1967-1968 academic year, the first night high school center was opened in Kaifan high school. In 1981, Kuwait issued a law consisting of 23 articles on ending literacy, increasing the number of literacy cent ers to 100. Moreover, a ministerial article was issued in 1982, defining an illiterate person as someone who's over 14 years of age and did not receive an education equal to the fourth grade. The centers were not only dedicated to teaching Kuwaitis and Gulf nationals, but was also accepting expats of certain nationalities, as well as special needs people. Kuwait sets a major part of its budget on education, becoming one of the top countries worldwide to spend on this field. In the past few years, Kuwait succeeded in achieving the millennium development goal on enabling all males and females to finish primary school education and provide students with modern curriculums, books, electronic devices, school building, healthcare and nutrition in schools. Kuwait continues its significant steps to end literacy as part of the Kuwait vision 2035, as key towards achieving sustainability and provide everyone with proper education. The ILD focuses on improving the reading skills for people and provide a better educa tion, as a way to achieve sustainability and protect human rights. The celebration date was set to September eighth by the UNESCO on October 26, 1966. Source: Kuwait News Agency