Iraq Has More Than 11,000 Illiterate Public Employees
Ministry of Education spokesperson Karim al-Sayed said surveys estimate that between 6.5 million and 6.9 million people in Iraq are illiterate.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — More than 11,000 public employees working in Iraq’s civil and military state institutions are illiterate, the Iraqi Ministry of Education said, as the country’s latest population census put the national illiteracy rate at 15.3%.
Speaking on International Literacy Day, Ministry of Education spokesperson Karim al-Sayed said surveys estimate that between 6.5 million and 6.9 million people in Iraq are illiterate.
Nineveh, Muthanna, and Maysan provinces recorded the highest illiteracy rates, according to al-Sayed.
He said the Executive Authority for the Eradication of Illiteracy operates more than 1,200 specialized centers across education directorates throughout Iraq, providing literacy programs to more than 2.5 million people.
Al-Sayed said illiteracy affects both the general population and public employees. Around 57,512 civil and military employees are currently enrolled in literacy education programs nationwide, including 5,832 civil servants and about 10,366 military personnel.
He added that more than 11,000 illiterate employees work in various state institutions, including the Ministries of Oil and Electricity, as well as the Ministries of Defense and Interior, the Popular Mobilization Forces, and other civil and security institutions.