Investigating dimensions of educational poverty in Iranian rural communities focusing on literacy information and its overcoming priorities

Poverty is a multidimensional phenomenon and educational poverty is one of its aspects. This study aimed to understand the nature of educational poverty in Iranian rural communities and explain adequate strategies to combat it. For this purpose, the literacy information, head count ratio and poverty gap ratio indexes and techniques for order performance by similarity to ideal solution were applied to Iranian rural households’ data in 2010 reported by Statistical Center of Iran. Results indicated that educational poverty governs to all rural households in a way that rural households on average do not have access to two-fifth of educational equipments and facilities. Based on the findings, the best strategy for obtaining educational poverty is development of internet system and increasing the number of its users. In formal education levels, concentration on universities education, and in acceptance and applying information aspect, concentration on publications, especially books and books reading is in priority.