The Minister of Education, Assadullah Hanif Balkhi, said on Saturday the high rate of illiteracy in the country was a serious challenge.

He said that special inclusive literacy programs through media will be launched soon to tackle the challenge.

He said that the Ministry of Education (MoE) is working on a national mechanism to fight illiteracy.

"Efforts are underway to eliminate literacy and specific programs are being included to the national strategy [against illiteracy]," Balkhi said.

A number of journalists and media experts said due to weak management and widespread corruption, the MoE has wasted millions of dollars in international aid.

"Unless our education curriculum is not effectively designed, our students have not received quality education and our education system is not updated, we cannot effectively work for literacy in our society," said Nazari Pariani, a journalist.

The journalists believe that media can play an effective role in raising public awareness.

"Whatever has been done so far is the work of media in Afghanistan. The government to date has done nothing to create a relationship between the activities of media and social activities of the government," said Pariz Kawah, another journalist.

According to the literacy department of the MoE, nearly 10 million people in Afghanistan are illiterate.