In most of the Arab world, the development of a national education system has been a recent process. Currently, one out of every two Arabs can neither read nor write. This paper focuses on how illiteracy has been dealt with in the country of Iraq. A 1947 survey put total illiteracy of those 15 years and older at 89.1%. In the period following the 1958 revolution, it was increasingly viewed as the responsibility of the government to expand education and to eradicate illiteracy. The education system was expanded and the growth was too rapid. The result was a deterioration of quality, and illiteracy continued to be widespread. The period since the revolution of July 17, 1968, marked a new era in the campaign against illiteracy. After several ineffectual efforts, the leading party (BASP) in 1978 launched the National Comprehensive Campaign for Literacy, making the eradication of illiteracy a national issue. By 1980 the campaign claimed 1,588,997 citizens had become literate. This figure represents 76.4 % of the 2.3 million target population of 15-45 year-olds. Real gains have been made, yet, in spite of the campaign's figures, it is still too soon to evaluate the program in terms of achieving a high degree of adult literacy. A list of 15 references is included. (DB)