Learning to read and write and gaining knowledge in our country was once considered a luxury and a source of pride for the wealthy and elite class, as it was only accessible to a select few during a distant and inaccessible time. However, as awareness grew, the necessity of educating the general population became increasingly clear in order to achieve social and political freedoms. In Iran, literacy education began during the Constitutional Revolution with the establishment of adult classes in Shiraz by the Constitutionalists and the implementation of compulsory education for children over the age of seven in 1909. In 1936, the Adult Education Charter was passed, requiring all illiterate government employees to attend these classes, which took seven years to establish. The government’s efforts to educate the people continued with the launch of the “Knowledge Corps” program, but none of these initiatives were successful. Even the implementation of the National Literacy Jihad plan in 1976, the results of which are not available, did not achieve the desired outcome. With

Of course, in recent centuries, with the change in meaning and concept, illiteracy has also changed and no longer simply refers to the ability to read and write. In this regard, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has presented a new definition of literacy. As we know, the concept of literacy has undergone many changes in the past century, and this is the fourth definition of literacy officially announced by UNESCO. In summary, according to this definition, literacy is the ability to create change in one’s life based on one’s reading and knowledge. With the new definition presented by UNESCO, literacy is the ability to “change” and a literate person is someone who can create change in their life with their acquired knowledge. Pay attention to the word “change”. Change means something that is completely tangible. But in the new definition of literacy from the perspective of the United Nations, learning and working with computers, as well as learning a foreign language, have also been

“With a quick calculation and comparison of these skills and literacies, we come to catastrophic results in our country. You can see that within this definition, the Iranian education system – not just the literacy movement – does not fit into the scope of UNESCO’s focus and none of the mentioned elements exist in this system. But is this definition and conclusion correct? Without a doubt, no, and of course, it is a separate topic for discussion. However, with this definition, we are now at a point where the dissolution of the Literacy Movement Organization and the transfer of its mission to the Elementary Education Deputy of the Ministry of Education has been raised in the Seventh Development Plan Commission in the Islamic Consultative Assembly, which, if approved by the commission and supported by the government and ultimately confirmed by the Guardian Council, will be implemented. Nevertheless, the question is, to what extent has the literacy movement been successful in achieving its missions and, more importantly, why should this organization be dissolved at all?”

Looking at the reasons and circumstances of the establishment of the organization in the early years of the revolution, we come to the conclusion that the necessity of this organization was inevitable, considering that 70% of the Iranian population at that time was made up of rural communities. It was necessary to be included in the agenda, in line with the goals of the revolution, and it was the most appropriate action to take. In the early years, it was successful, to the point that in some reports, successful literacy students were able to enter university and even study in medical fields. Therefore, it can be concluded that this organization started its work with a good intention and with dedicated and enthusiastic individuals, but in order to examine the reasons for its failure in the following decades, we must refer back to the beginning of this note, where the organization, as a part of the Iranian education system, was unable to adapt to the conditions, needs, and global standards. Therefore, in the writer’s opinion, the

According to paragraph (y) of Article 52 of the Fourth Development Plan, the Literacy Movement Organization is responsible for reducing illiteracy among individuals under the age of 30 to zero. However, after the organization’s failure, the Office of the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in a letter dated 30 Bahman 1387 (which is also available on the organization’s website), in response to an inquiry, the Leader and Representative of the Supreme Leader in this organization, regarding obtaining a decision to continue the Literacy Movement, responds that: “The esteemed Leader has ordered that this organization continue its work until the end of the Fifth Development Plan, and after that, a decision will be made regarding its continuation or discontinuation based on an evaluation of the illiteracy situation.” However, with the continued failure of this organization, the Office of the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran informs the Literacy Movement in 5 Dey 1389 that: “The esteemed