‘The Consolidated teaching of literacy and ICDL’ (International computer driving licence) programme from the Islamic Republic of Iran by the Literacy Movement Organization (LMO), was awarded on September 5th one of the five 2018 International Literacy Prizes, the UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy.
LMO actively promotes literacy and continuing education through a range of programmes for both children and adults, and particularly targets women and girls in rural areas, from minority tribes, armies, prisons and factories.
“In our complex world, reading, writing, and calculating skills may not answer all of the needs of illiterate or low-literate people; technological development and progress have redefined the literacy concept in the modern world,” says Mostafa Hasannejad, senior PR expert and advisor to Head of LMO in international affairs.
“The Basic Computer Learning in Transition course ICDL has empowered the learners to use modern technologies in resolving their urgent needs, like reading electronic pages, working with browsers, subscribe to social networks, pay their utility bills and more.”
Created in 1979 and with more than 50,000 instructors and 6,000 administrators working throughout the country in more than 300 villages and 28 provinces, the LMO is the main and largest literacy organization in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The project aims to combine basic literacy skills with International Computer Driving License (ICDL) skills, and combines computer skills training, literacy courses, Persian literature, mathematics, Islamic teachings, culture and sciences.
In 2017, more than 4,258 girls benefited from the programme and it is hoped to continue implementing the project until 2021.
This year’s UNESCO International Literacy Prizes will be awarded to laureates from Afghanistan, Islamic Republic of Iran, Nigeria, Spain and Uruguay on the occasion of International Literacy Day, which was celebrated on 8 September. The Prize Award Ceremony took take place at the global event for International Literacy Day on 7 September at UNESCO Headquarters. This year’s International Literacy Prizes and global event theme is ‘literacy and skills development’.
