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thepeel
Joined: 08 Aug 2004
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 Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 6:56 pm Post subject: Nearly one in three in Arab world illiterate: report |
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Nearly one in three people in the Arab world is illiterate, including nearly half of all women in the region, the Tunis-based Arab League Educational Cultural and Scientific Organisation said Monday.
Three-quarters of the 100 million people unable to read or write in the 21 Arab countries are aged between 15 and 45 years old, the Arab League group, known by its acronym ALECSO, said in a statement.
Equally alarming, some 46.5 percent of women in the region are illiterate, the organisation reported, urging governments to put the fight against illiteracy at the top of their agendas.
While describing access to primary school education as "indispensable," it also urged Arab countries to focus on adult education to avoid "serious incidents in the evolution of (Arab) societies".
ALECSO has previously sounded the alarm on illiteracy in the region, noting it had failed to meet a 1990 United Nations goal to halve adult illiteracy over the subsequent decade.
In July, Arab states adopted an action plan spearheaded by the group to promote education, notably through collaboration with key international organisations.
While illiteracy affects the entire Arab world, the more highly populated countries -- such as Egypt, Sudan, Algeria and Morocco -- are particularly vulnerable.
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http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=080107195154.zz47kw4z&show_article=1 |
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mithridates
Joined: 03 Mar 2003
Location: President's office, Korean Space Agency
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| Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 8:12 pm Post subject: Re: Nearly one in three in Arab world illiterate: report |
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| thepeel wrote: |
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Nearly one in three people in the Arab world is illiterate, including nearly half of all women in the region, the Tunis-based Arab League Educational Cultural and Scientific Organisation said Monday.
Three-quarters of the 100 million people unable to read or write in the 21 Arab countries are aged between 15 and 45 years old, the Arab League group, known by its acronym ALECSO, said in a statement.
Equally alarming, some 46.5 percent of women in the region are illiterate, the organisation reported, urging governments to put the fight against illiteracy at the top of their agendas.
While describing access to primary school education as "indispensable," it also urged Arab countries to focus on adult education to avoid "serious incidents in the evolution of (Arab) societies".
ALECSO has previously sounded the alarm on illiteracy in the region, noting it had failed to meet a 1990 United Nations goal to halve adult illiteracy over the subsequent decade.
In July, Arab states adopted an action plan spearheaded by the group to promote education, notably through collaboration with key international organisations.
While illiteracy affects the entire Arab world, the more highly populated countries -- such as Egypt, Sudan, Algeria and Morocco -- are particularly vulnerable.
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http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=080107195154.zz47kw4z&show_article=1 |
Arabic's also one of the hardest languages to learn as a first language:
http://www.lingforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=101
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A research conducted worldwide has established that Turkish children are the fastest at learning their native language.
The results were released at the International Association for the Study of Child Language�s 10th congress in Berlin, Germany, where it was indicated that Turkish children could speak their native language by the age of 2-3 years in a grammatically correct manner. Linguistics Professor Klann Delius noted that the Turkish language was easy to learn. �Suffixes in Turkish that determine person and tense are regular. Using them is like arranging Lego pieces.� According to the research, it takes 12 years for Arab speaking children, and 4-5 years for German children to acquire the grammatical mastery in their mother tongue. The congress held in Berlin is attended by about 800 linguists from around the world. |
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thepeel
Joined: 08 Aug 2004
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| Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 8:35 pm Post subject: |
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| Really? That is the answer? Not the gender apartheid, combined with polygamy, of islam? The uneducated women and cast-aside men? |
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bucheon bum
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 9:06 pm Post subject: |
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| Well written Arabic is different from spoken. It would be along the lines of learning french while you speak spanish. Only difference is grammar in Arabic is crazy. |
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ddeubel
Joined: 20 Jul 2005
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| Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 10:39 pm Post subject: |
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I don't find that fact startling but I do find it a pity. Much that could be done.
I would caution though, that we don't equate "literacy" with "intellect" or even "intelligence", as so many on this board might. In many parts of the Arab world, there is still no need to read and write - thus, a lack of necessity along with so many other contributing factors (like poverty, nomadism, war, geographic isolation etc....).
DD
http://eflclassroom.ning.com |
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VanIslander
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!
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| Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 11:11 pm Post subject: |
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100 million in the Arab world are illiterate? ... bah, that's not so much.
150 million in China are illiterate!
300 million in India are illiterate!!!
and when it comes to the continent of Africa, the numbers are staggering, the big and relatively well off country of Nigeria has 50 million illiterates all by itself! i can't fathom what numbers for the region of 'the African World' would be.
and while numbers vary for USA from absurdly low 10 million up to disturbingly high 150 million, there must be at least 50 million illiterate Americans by any reasonable assessment. |
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mithridates
Joined: 03 Mar 2003
Location: President's office, Korean Space Agency
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| Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 2:30 am Post subject: |
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| thepeel wrote: |
| Really? That is the answer? Not the gender apartheid, combined with polygamy, of islam? The uneducated women and cast-aside men? |
I didn't say that was the answer. Key word was also.
| mithridates wrote: |
| Arabic's also one of the hardest languages to learn as a first language: |
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Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994
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| Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 2:38 am Post subject: |
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| there must be at least 50 million illiterate Americans by any reasonable assessment. |
I highly doubt that. |
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Big_Bird
Joined: 31 Jan 2003
Location: Sometimes here sometimes there...
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| Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 3:40 am Post subject: |
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The OP's implication seems to be that the illiteracy is a result of 'Arabness?' I would assume it had more to do with poverty. Look at some of the countries listed:
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| While illiteracy affects the entire Arab world, the more highly populated countries -- such as Egypt, Sudan, Algeria and Morocco -- are particularly vulnerable. |
These are poor countries. Is it any surprise that Sudan has a high level of illiteracy? Some Arab nations are working hard on rectifying the problem. Oman for example. They are still a developing country, but they now have a literacy rate that is over 80%. Women's education is not considered unimportant and when I studied for a Masters recently, quite a few of my classmates were female foreign students on government scholarships from Oman. As far as I'm aware both UAE and Qatar have higher literacy rates for women than for men. |
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mateomiguel
Joined: 16 May 2005
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| Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 10:05 pm Post subject: |
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and poverty is the result of arabness!
arabness > poverty > illiteracy > jihadism |
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thepeel
Joined: 08 Aug 2004
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| Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 10:17 pm Post subject: |
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| Big_Bird wrote: |
The OP's implication seems to be that the illiteracy is a result of 'Arabness?' I would assume it had more to do with poverty. Look at some of the countries listed:
| Quote: |
| While illiteracy affects the entire Arab world, the more highly populated countries -- such as Egypt, Sudan, Algeria and Morocco -- are particularly vulnerable. |
These are poor countries. Is it any surprise that Sudan has a high level of illiteracy? |
What the hell is "arabness"?
If by 'arabness' you mean islam, which is Arab supremacy in religious form (bow to Arabia 5 times a day, take an Arab name, make a pilgrimage to Arabia as religious duty, can only read the koran in Arabic etc) then, yes. The muslim world is poor as hell, all of it, largely because of islam. Even Malaysia is totally dependent on non-muslims (Chinese and Indians) for ALL of their economic growth. And, the reason that this will always be the case is that muslim women have a labour force participation rate that is tiny compared to Asians, Latin Americans or others. And they don't read books not called "the koran". And they spend their time praying and not working. And they are primarily concerned with religion. Etc etc etc.
So, yes. Sudan is poor. Why is Korea rich? Japan? Singapore? Canada? The next powers are China and India. Why not muslim nations? If your country has a dominant culture of hating science, hating women and hating reason then don't be surprised when the next Google isn't born in Saudi.
As was said in Syriana. 100 years ago they were cutting each others heads off in the desert, and in a 100 more, they will be doing it again. The oil sustained a dead, worthless culture. islam IS fanaticism. And religious fanatics will never build a wealthy, good country. |
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Big_Bird
Joined: 31 Jan 2003
Location: Sometimes here sometimes there...
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| Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 4:38 am Post subject: |
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| thepeel wrote: |
| If by 'arabness' you mean islam, which is Arab supremacy in religious form (bow to Arabia 5 times a day, take an Arab name, make a pilgrimage to Arabia as religious duty, can only read the koran in Arabic etc) then, yes. The muslim world is poor as hell, all of it, largely because of islam. Even Malaysia is totally dependent on non-muslims (Chinese and Indians) for ALL of their economic growth. And, the reason that this will always be the case is that muslim women have a labour force participation rate that is tiny compared to Asians, Latin Americans or others. And they don't read books not called "the koran". And they spend their time praying and not working. And they are primarily concerned with religion. Etc etc etc. |
So hundreds of millions of Chinese and Indians are illiterate because they are muslims. Ah, I see
The Omani (and Iranian and Saudi) women I studied with were not doing masters in order to read the Koran. They were very interested in the careers they intended to begin once they returned home.
A very good Libyan friend of mine comes from a family of 10. His parents are illiterate and were delighted that 2 of their children went to uni. Currently one daughter is at uni and despite being devout muslims, they are over the moon and very proud of their daughter. The mother angrily hushes up any noise from other family members when her daughter is studying for exams. They hope their youngest daughter will also follow in her sister's footsteps.
| Quote: |
| So, yes. Sudan is poor. Why is Korea rich? Japan? Singapore? Canada? The next powers are China and India. Why not muslim nations? If your country has a dominant culture of hating science, hating women and hating reason then don't be surprised when the next Google isn't born in Saudi. |
Name me a rich non-muslim African nation. Your analysis is (as usual) utterly simplistic. Also, you conventiently ignore the fact that India and China have populations of at least 1 billion. That is a major reason they are set to become economic giants. Can you name me a muslim nation with 1 billion people?
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| As was said in Syriana. 100 years ago they were cutting each others heads off in the desert, and in a 100 more, they will be doing it again. The oil sustained a dead, worthless culture. islam IS fanaticism. And religious fanatics will never build a wealthy, good country. |
My friends from Middle Eastern countries such as Oman say their governments are well aware of the need to educate their populace and develop economies that are less dependent on oil, and have long been implementing programs to deal with this. Women's education is not considered trivial at all. In the gulf governments are working at getting their own people trained up in professions that have generally been done by foreigners until recent times.. |
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bucheon bum
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 8:46 am Post subject: |
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| Big_Bird wrote: |
[
Name me a rich non-muslim African nation. Your analysis is (as usual) utterly simplistic. Also, you conventiently ignore the fact that India and China have populations of at least 1 billion. That is a major reason they are set to become economic giants. Can you name me a muslim nation with 1 billion people?
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You accuse the peel of being simplistic then you go ahead and do the same.
India and china were not economic giants for most of our life. 15 years ago people would have raised their eyebrows if you said as much.
If size is so important, why is Bangladesh one of the poorest countries in the world? I mean its population is much higher than any country in the EU. And Pakistan? Even larger and not much richer. Perhaps because they are not resource rich? That can explain why they are economically stuck and Brazil is booming. Well how does one explain Indonesia then? It is not even close to being the economic powerhouse of Southeast Asia but has plenty of resources and is the largest country in the region.
India has become an economic giant due to economic reforms it underwent in the early 90s. It is a popular destination for FDI because it has many highly educated workers. Yes, it has a billion people but that's just a small reason why India is booming.
One in fact could argue that India's size is a hindrance to its growth. There is such a wide # of interest groups that getting any type of beneficial policy passed in the country is incredibly difficult.
Your argument holds more sway when it comes to China. A lot of its growth is from cheap intensive labor and many western firms are drawn to the huge potential market. Lastly, it is an authoritarian gov't, so there are fewer special interest groups to stymie policy.
All that being said, I think what this study shows is how bad the Arab governments are. I don't think it is poverty that is the root cause for this illiteracy but instead it is the leadership in the Arab world. You brought up Africa Big Bird. It has historically been much poorer than the Arab world. Has its literacy rate been lower too? That is probably worth looking into. |
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Czarjorge
Joined: 01 May 2007
Location: I now have the same moustache, and it is glorious.
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| Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 9:05 am Post subject: |
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| What's the answer? Clearly the answer is kill all Muslims, maybe all Arabs. |
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Matt_22
Joined: 22 Nov 2006
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| Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 9:36 am Post subject: |
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| VanIslander wrote: |
and while numbers vary for USA from absurdly low 10 million up to disturbingly high 150 million, there must be at least 50 million illiterate Americans by any reasonable assessment. |
LOL
don't stop there! there's gotta be at least 100 billion or so illiterate amerikans. igotthisguitar done told me so last week. |
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