Implementing agency
Literacy Movement Organization (LMO)
Fatemi Avenue
P.O. Box 14155/6378
Teheran, Iran
Tel: (98 21) 653 380
Fax: (98 21) 651 121

Literacy situation

The literacy rate in rural areas has improved from 55.8 % in 1979 to 80.4 % in 2000, and for women it improved from 47 % to 76.3 %. 

The LMO was established after the Islamic revolution in 1979.  There has been an emphasis on reducing literacy disparities, such as between urban and rural areas and between men and women.  The LMO has bureaus in 29 provinces and nearly 300 towns throughout the country and it employs 7,000 officers and 66,000 literacy instructors. There are also post-literacy programmes for neo-literates and special literacy classes for migrants and refugees, such as Afghanis.  The LMO also have organized various literacy projects, such as one-to-one teaching, literacy follow-up group project has been launched where learners write their own materials and a distance literacy learning project for people in remote areas via the postal system. 

CLC initiatives

LMO has initiated the CLC project in cooperation with UNESCO in 2000 in two provinces namely, Fars and Ilam.  Based on the successful experiences in the two provinces, the government has encouraged all the provinces to establish CLCs through establishing local management committees.  As of 2002, there are 1,500 CLCs ???? all over the country.

In general, CLCs in Iran aim to create appropriate leanring environment and equal educational opportunities especially for females and also rural population.  CLCs focus on community devleopement and empowerment of community people by increasing their knowledge through various education and life skill activities.

CLCs have shown visible impact of quality of life improvement among community pepulation, which has mobilized support from the local government as well as external agencies such as UNICEF and UNFPA.

Activities

Each CLC has implemented different programmes and activities according to the local situation and needs.  Broadly, the activities can be divided in three kinds of class: basic literacy, life skills and vocational training.  Follow up study groups are formulated to prevent neo/semi literates from relapsing into illiteracy. 

Income generating activities are popular in such areas as, carpet weaving, sewing, building wiring, producing honey and vegetable growing in green houses.  Not only generating money but also saving and effective use of money has been emphasized as part of life skills.

Impact and challenges

Through the training activities especially income generation programmes, people realized the usefulness of the combined activities of literacy and vocational skills.  Mobilzing the interests of the learners, CLCs also developed social relationshiop in the community and better learning environment.

The above process has enhanced the capacity of community people, however, the local resources including capable personnel are limited in many CLCs.  This is partly because community people still believe that education and other social services should be given by the government office, so that people depend on the guidance and assistance from the government.