UNESCO HEADQUARTERS; M. MAHEU AND GUESTS IN HALL; PLAQUE AND CHEQUE PRESENTED.




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Background: Tanzanian school girl Rose Omari today received a 5,000 dollar (about 1800 sterling) cheque for efforts by her school in combating illiteracy. The cheque was presented by M. Rene Naheu, director-general of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, at a ceremony at UNESCO headquarters in Paris.

The award was made to coincide with International Literacy Day, to be celebrated tomorrow.

Miss Omari, a fifth form mathematics student, came to Paris to receive the award, on behalf of Tabora Girls Secondary School. Pupils at the school gave reading and writing lessons to adults in Tabora, some 500 miles (800 kms) west of Der Es Salaam. This year they were able to give literacy certificates to 200 of their "students", of whom 113 were taught by their daughters.

The money was donated by the Shah of Iran, and the prize-giving jury was headed by Princess Achraf Pahlevi of Iran. Other members of the jury included Mr. El Fasi of Morocco and Mr. Rodolpho Baron-Castro of El Salvador.

After the ceremony M. Meheu left for Montreal, where he will deliver an appeal tomorrow for a world-wide campaign against illiteracy in a speech at the International World Fair, Expo 67.