´Grand and beautiful patriotic action´ cuts illiteracy rate to 7%

Santo Domingo.- “Thanksto the grand and beautiful patriotic action against illiteracy conducted by thegovernment and various civil society organizations, the illiteracy rate hasbeen reduced to 7% in the past three years,” the National Literacy Board said Monday.

Presidency SpecialPrograms (DIGEPEP) director Lidio Cadet said the country will reach a goal whenit´s declared free of illiteracy next year, with an illiterate rate below 5%.

In a National Palace ata press conference after a meeting of the DIGEPEP which lasted more than threehours, Cadet said such a striking reduction had never been achieved in anydemocratic country in the world before.

"If we all remainunited in the struggle to overcome illiteracy in the Dominican Republic we willtake the giant step of burying the cultural obscurantism that isilliteracy," the official said.