The rate of illiteracy in the country is on the decrease compared to the previous years, according to latest figures from the Ministry of Education.Literacy levels stand at 69.7 per cent, up from 65.3 per cent in 2006, Esperance Muziganyi, who is in charge of Adult Education in the Ministry of Education, told The New Times..Literacy among people between 15 to 24 age groups stands at 83.7 per cent.The upward trend is attributed to adult literacy campaigns across the country, Muziganyi, noted."Illiteracy is among the major hurdles to development of any country. I, therefore, encourage the population and partners to collaborate with the ministry to further increase literacy levels through teaching people how to read, count and write,” Muziganyi said.Last year, 34,829 people benefited from basic literacy programmes, including reading and counting while this year the ministry’s target is to train more than 30,000.Muziganyi said 126 volunteer tutors have been trained to conduct the teaching.The official also noted that the ministry has so far distributed 16,000 teachers’ text books and 54,000 note books for the different training centres.Last year, over 5,000 literacy centres were set up across the country but the target is to open 8,600 of them with at least four of them in each cell.Muziganyi disclosed that the ministry has designed a new curriculum which will be used by all stakeholders who are engaged literacy programmes in the country.She cited mindset among the challenges still hindering the literacy campaigns. There are some people who don’t know the importance of learning how to read, write and count, Muziganyi said, but various campaigns aimed at changing people’s mindsets on education are being planned. According to Muziganyi, the ministry every year spends about Rwf500million on literacy programmes.A forum comprising of NGOs, religious groups, ministries and local authorities has been formed which will sensitise and mobilise the general population about the importance of literacy in all parts of country, according to Muziganyi.The Vice Mayor of Nyamasheke District in charge of social affairs, Catherine Gatete told The New Times that fighting illiteracy is among the top priorities on the districts’ performance contracts.Gatete called upon the general population to embrace education which she said would help the country to achieve its desired development goals.