Minister of Social Affairs, Malek Zahi, said, Monday that 25% of Tunisian women are illiterate and that the total number of illiterates in Tunisia has reached two million, during a conference organized Monday in Tunis, to celebrate Arab Literacy Day, which falls on January 8 each year. The Minister pointed out that 40% of illiterate women live in rural areas while over 50% live delegations located in Tunisia's northwest and center-west, particularly in the delegations of el Ala and Sidi Omar Bouhajla (governorate of Kairouan) and the delegations of Tela and Hassi frid (governorate of Kasserine). The Ministry of Social Affairs is working on combating illiteracy by encouraging learners to join social education centers, Zahi said, adding that nearly 27,000 learners joined these centers during the school year 2023-2024, recording an increase of 7% compared to the previous season. Further efforts will be made to increase the number of social education centers so as to cover all delegations nationwide. This yea r social education centers numbered 965 centers, compared to 897 in the previous school year, the same source said. He emphasized that the ministry started sorting out the professional situation of all retired teachers, and is currently looking into the development of educational programs to eradicate illiteracy by adopting new communication technologies, including the use of mobile phones and computers to enrich the learning material. He also stressed the importance of creating a National Register of illiterates similar to the National Poverty Register, in coordination with the National Institute of Statistics (INS). Zahi also indicated that a digital platform, the first of its kind in Africa, will be launched. It will be used to collect data and statistics so as to facilitate the work of all actors in the adult education system, including administrators, inspectors and teachers. Director General of the National Adult Education Center, Belgacem Rebai, told TAP that the budget allocated to it was increase d by the Social Affairs Ministry by 18 million of dinars (MD) to 26 MD this year. He clarified that the Social Affairs Ministry has regularized the professional situation of 1,018 contract teachers, indicating that the center will work to attract more learners not only among illiterate elderly people, but also among young school dropouts, whose number is estimated at around 100,000 people each year. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse