(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-04-01 10:44

YANGON - Myanmar and its fellow members of the Southeast Asia Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) have agreed to cooperate in bringing down the number of illiterate children in Southeast Asia, a leading local weekly reported Tuesday.

According to a memorandum of understanding reached recently between Myanmar and the SEAMEO, a more structured framework for expanding cooperation in education, science and culture across the region is to be worked out, the Myanmar Times said.

Meanwhile, according to available official figures, Myanmar has attained 94.35 percent adult literacy rate in 2006, up from 94.1 percent in 2005 and 83 percent in 1996.

In its drive to increase the adult literacy rate annually, the government has extended informal primary education program and mobile school program for economically difficult people to attend classes and over-school-age children. In the meantime, literacy for illiterate adults and continuing education programs are being implemented nationwide.

In the formal education sector, efforts for 100-cent enrollment for all school-age children and all students to complete basic education have been made as a mass movement.

The nation's school enrollment rate in the 2006-07 academic year reached 97.84 percent, up from 91 percent in 1999-2000, the education authorities said, adding that government has opened over 6,000 post-primary schools, while exerting efforts for children to finish primary education and to complete their middle school education.

Other official statistics also show that Myanmar had 40,553 basic education schools as of 2007, of which 1,694 are with multi media classrooms. The number of teachers and students went to 260, 000 and 8.83 million respectively.

The education authorities also urged more active participation in the literacy campaign to improve the education and socio- economic life of the people.

SEAMEO was formed in November 1965 as a chartered international organization to promote cooperation in education, science and culture in the Southeast Asia.

Myanmar joined the SEAMEO in 1998.