United Nations Radio

The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and a leading cellular phone company in Pakistan on Thursday signed an agreement to facilitate literacy among adolescent girls in Pakistan using mobile phones.

Close up of hand held mobile

UNESCO says it will be the first time anywhere in the world that mobile phones are used to facilitate literacy by providing post-literacy materials as messages on a mobile phone.

The agency notes that in order to maintain literacy skills after basic literacy courses, the new literates should have constant access to reading materials at least for three months after learning to read.

However, it points out, for most of the new literates in Pakistan, reading materials are scarce and the occasions to use the acquired literacy skills are rare.

As a result, after graduating from basic literacy courses, the new literates return to a non-literate environment and it is difficult for them to retain their newly acquired literacy skills.

Under UNESCO and Mobilink programme, adolescent girls will receive interesting and informative text messages in Urdu and are expected to respond.

The second part of the programme includes evaluation every month to assess the knowledge that learners have gained, interactive exercises, a glossary of educational terms and additional resources.

UNESCO says the first phase of the programme will cover 250 learners in Punjab in the next four months.

This is Donn Bobb reporting for United Nations Radio.

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