TEHRAN - Iran ranks 87th in literacy among 139 countries in the world, the state Literacy Movement Organization announced last week.

Over eight million illiterates have been educated since the establishment of the Literacy Movement Organization in 1979.
Over the past 29 years, the movement has taken major steps toward the eradication of illiteracy.
The number of illiterate Iranians over 40 years of age dropped to 9 million by the end of 2006 from 14 million in 1976.
A total of 606,000 Afghan and 32,000 Iraqi refugees became literate through attending the organization’s classes.
About 87.5 percent of the newly literate are under 40.
The program launched by the Iranian organization in 1979 seeks to raise the total adult literacy rate to 89.1 percent by 2010 and to 92.1 percent by 2015.
The illiteracy rate is much higher for women and in rural areas. The percentage difference between the female and male literacy rates has changed dramatically over the years, dropping to 8.3 percent in 2006 from 23.4 percent in 1976.
At the same time, the difference in the literacy rate in urban and rural areas has fallen from 34 percent to 13 percent.
The Literacy Movement Organization has improved women’s success greatly, especially those in rural and underdeveloped areas throughout the country.
Designed especially for those who never learned to read and write, the program is credited with much of the country’s success in raising the literacy rate from 47.5 percent in 1976 to about 82 percent today.
The movement has established over 2000 learning centers across the country, employed 55,000 instructors, distributed easy-to-read books and manuals, and established literacy classes for illiterate men and women.
The initiative pays particular attention to the needs of women who head households. In addition to teaching basic academic skills and vocational training, the program offers classes in ‘skills for life’ such as childcare, communication, and self-esteem