| ILLITERACY IS AN OBSTACLE - MAQELEPO | |
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The Deputy Minister of Education, Mrs. 'Malijane Maqelepo says illiteracy is an obstacle that prevents people from participating in their country's development. Mrs. Maqelopo, said this when addressing people during the International Literacy Day at Qoqolosing in the Leribe district on Thursday 05 September,2002. The Deputy Minister, said now that the graduands are able to read and write, they will be able to be useful in their village activities, which need such skills. She said, the graduands should encourage other people, who for some
reasons cannot be able to go to normal schools to attend reading and writing
lessons offered by the Lesotho Distance Teaching Center (LDTC) so that they
also could be able to read and write. 'Gone are the days when people had to
ask others to read and write for them because everybody has a right to his
or her privacy,' she added. Mrs. Maqelepo, said the graduands are trusted to
promote the culture of reading which is not popular amongst youth as it is
only through reading that they will be able to know what is happening in
other countries and around them. She thanked the United Nations Children Fund and the United Nations
Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation for assisting LDTC
because it would be difficult for it to carry out its duties without their
assistance. The Deputy Minister promised that LDTC would also be extended to
other districts to provide all people with the services that it offers with
the objective of eradicating illiteracy. Speaking at the same occasion, Mr. Paramente Phamotse on behalf of the
Principal Secretary in the same ministry, said it is the right of every
Mosotho to know how to read and write regardless of age, religious and
political affiliations. Mr. Phamotse, appealed to parents to take advantage
of the free primary education programme launched by the government and send
their children to school. In an interview, many of the graduands, said they are happy as they are
able to read and write Sesotho, but they also need to learn to read and
write English so that it would be easy for them to continue with their
studies. They appealed to parents to allocated their time in such a way that
they also participate in looking after their cattle so that they could
use this opportunity profitably. According to national illiteracy records in
the country, Leribe is reported as one of the highest in illiteracy compared
to other districts. There are more than 700,000 people in the country who
are illiterate. | |
| SOURCE: LENA |