United Nations Radio

Bolivia will be declared a country free of illiteracy in December this year, according to President Evo Morales.

The Bolivian leader was in New York to address the General Assembly and thank the international community for its support for its efforts to transform its society.

Speaking to reporters afterwards, he said that his country has been able to extend education to all children, thanks to cooperation with Cuba and Venezuela.

President Morales said that social workers, teachers, volunteers and even business people are participating in literacy programmes in Bolivia.

"This is the first time that the Bolivian state has reached the level of 100 per cent here and my government has created a school coupon to cover these expenses and this means that there never needs to be new illiterate people particularly not in rural areas. So children are able to go through their main schooling with this school credit from the first to the eighth class."

President Morales said these efforts coincide with the Millennium Development Goals set out by the United Nations.

One of these goals is to achieve universal primary education by 2015.

Diane Bailey, United Nations Radio

(duration: 1'18")