Literacy Campaign “Mission Robinson II” Will Graduate Two Million Students by 2005

President Chávez, announced yesterday that for October 2005 the “Mission Robinson II, Yes I can continue”, will have graduated 2 million illiterate citizens.

In the Ayacucho Hall of the Presidential Palace, which was transformed into a school classroom, the Chief of State, accompanied by the minister of Education, Culture and Sports, Aristóbulo Istúriz, held a motivational class for a group of students who participated in the first stage of the literacy program.

According to Chavez, this Monday 505 Venezuelans were incorporated into the pilot program for the second phase of the Plan in the Caracas and in the states of Miranda, Aragua and Vargas.

Chavez explained that “Mission Robinson II, Yes I can continue” is organized into two blocks, the first will go from October 2003 to July 2004, when they graduate from fourth grade; the second block goes from October 2004 to July 2005, when they receive sixth grade rank.

The subjects the students will study in the first block of this second phase will be: language, mathematics, universal history, natural geography and sciences. Dictionaries will be provided to all students.

However, for the second block – which aims for the sixth grade – two subjects will be added: English and computer science. “It is very important to learn another language, so as to extend one’s vision of the world and to learn elements of computer science and computation”. The President also showed the texts that will be used in this second phase, with the name of “I can already read”.

“With this text they will deepen their reading ability, which is the central objective of this second part, since there must be continuity, otherwise the effort is lost”, added President Chávez.

Bank of the People will help with financing

The Bank of the People, a state-owned bank that provides low interest loans to small entrepreneurs, will provide 500 million bolivars (313.000 US$) through an agreement with the Social and Economic Development Bank (Bandes).

Bandes, on the other hand, will provide 1.5 billion bolivars (938.000 US$) a month for the literacy campaign.

Information from Venpres and other sources were used in this news piece