Literacy Mission

Total Literacy Programme to eradicate illiteracy for the whole of state was inaugurated by the Prime Minister of India on 4th February ’90.

The unique feature of the programme was the inclusion of linguistic minorities in the state in the districts adjacent to Tamil Nadu and Karnataka by divisions into tailor made packages.

Kerala was finally declared a ‘totally literate state on 8th April 1991.

Education for all and Forever In Kerala, after achieving ‘total literacy’, it was realised that nothing was available to sustain the interest in the neo literates to keep their urge to learn alive. To create an environment for this, the state government took up the Continuing Education Project offered by National Literacy Mission and Kerala State Literacy Mission organised. Education for all and for ever’ is the motto of Kerala State Literacy Mission. The Mission imparts non-formal, life oriented education to the neo literates. Hence no definite curriculum and learning methodology can be adopted. The kind of education to be imparted to each group is finalised after studying the local culture, social peculiarities, life style and habits of the community concerned. The new knowledge acquired is to help the neo-literates for making positive contributions towards creating a better life for himself and improving the social life accordingly.

Objectives: Retention of literacy skills and provision of opportunities to the neo-litterates to take their learning beyond basic literacyCreating scope for application of functional literacy for improvement of living conditions and quality of life.Dissemination of information on development programmes and widening & improving participation of traditionally deprived sections of the society.

Creation of awareness about national concerns such as national integration, conservation and improvement of the environment, women’s equality, observance of small family norms etc. and sharing of common problems of the community.

Improvement of economic conditions and general well being as well as improvement of productivity by organizing short-duration programmes, orientation courses for providing vocational skills and by taking up linkage activities for establishing direct linkage between continuing education and development activities.

Provision of facilities for library and reading rooms for creating an environment conductive for literacy efforts and a learning society.

Ensuring the sustainability of the Kerala Model. 'Beyond Letters’ is an ambitious project visualised by KSLM. The slogan owes its genesis to an understanding of the fact that though none can claim to have a thorough knowledge of all things, at least a general awareness almost all branches of knowledge including information technology has become part and parcel of educational process.

‘Beyond letters’ is poised to give a new sense of direction to the beneficiaries of the literacy campaign. Developmental literacy, legal literacy, environmental literacy, consumer literacy, health literacy, habitat literacy, agricultural literacy cultural literacy, computer literacy, labor literacy, economic literacy, medicinal literacy, heritage literacy etc. are some of the areas covered under this.

Equivalency Programme Equivalency Programme has been designed by KSLM inorder to help the neo literates to qualify themselves at par with those who finish formal education. The programme helps the neo-literates irrespective of their age to appear for levels 1,2 and 3 which are equivalent to STD 4, 7 & 10 of the formal stream Training for this is imparted in all the 14 districts with the help of local bodies. Trainers are given special orientation. KSLM issues certificates to those who successfully complete these courses and these are deemed to be equivalent to the respective levels in formal education. Thudarvidyabhyasa Kalajatha Fourteen colourful Cultural rallies were organised which travelled throughout the state simultaneously to popularise the message of Continuing Education among the less adventurous. The Cultural rally christened Thudarvidyabhyasa Kalajatha’ comprised of art forms which announced the unlimited possibilities of Continuing Education. This was well received by all sections of society and all regions alike. Continuing Education Centres The function of CEC include · Evening class · Library and reading room · Discussion group · Vocational Training Programme · Sports and adventurous activities Training Centre The continuing Education Project in Kerala is implemented through Local Bodies and NGOs. A network of voluntary workers and other activists are oriented towards the objectives of Continuing Education Programme. Several organisations both Governmental and Non-governmental are included in the project for resource mobilisation and training.

Various level training were conducted for different groups involved in Continuing Education with the support of SRC,SCERT, DIET, Govt Departments, Universities, NGOs, Population Cell, CDC etc.

A permanent State Level Training Centre is established for this in Thiruvananthapuram.

Peoples Planning In the allotment under the 9th plan, the local bodies have been given the right to spend 35-40% for the Projects decided by them. The panchayaths are often willing to spend a part of this amount to conduct skill development courses jointly with the CE centres.

Contact: Kerala State Literacy MissionSasthamangalamThiruvananthapuram-10Ph: 0471-314105,314106,314107E-mail: literacy@md4.vsnl.net.in

Dr. Francis Sunny at the height of academics…

Dr. Francis Sunny, one of our Board members, and presently the Archdiocesan Pastoral Council Secretary is awarded ‘Bharat Shiksha Ratna’ by the Global Society for Health and Education Growth, New Delhi for his research and academic excellence.

Besides this he was conferred the Membership in Reproductive Biology and Endocriminology [MRE]by the Society for Reproductive Biology and Comparative Endocrinology, Chennai for his meritorious research contribution in the field of Endocrinology.

While congratulating him on this great achievements, I wish him further achievements in his field for the better future for our progenies and be an inspiration for the young minds.

Universalisation of Education remains a universe away…

Nearly 90 years ago, on January 24, 1922, Mahatma Gandhi wrote in a letter: “As we become independent, all the defects of the systems of elections, injustice, tyranny of the richer classes as also the burden of running administration are bound to come upon us.” Everyone now realizes how prophetically accurate he was. In the same letter, he suggested: “But there is hope, if education spreads throughout the country… Otherwise India would become the abode for grave injustice and tyranny of the rulers.” He reiterated the call for universal education in 1937 when the conceptualization of basic education was presented to the country. His heirs in positions of power never gave the priority to education that it deserved. The constitutional directive to provide free and compulsory education to “all children till they attain 14 years of age” was just ignored in practice for decades together. Even after the Supreme Court ruling in 1993, the 86th Constitutional amendment came only in 2002. The coming in force of the Right to Education (RTE) Act on April 1, 2010, was a welcome step in spite of severe deficiencies such as its applicability only to 6-14 age group.

After a year, the Central government has its progress report ready. It is only data and statistics that come to the rescue of the bureaucracy in all such areas that defy real progress in a comprehensive sense. In this case even that does not help. Education is on the concurrent list and any major policy decision that the Centre initiates is presumed to have the concurrence and support of all the state governments/UT. Only six states – Sikkim, Orissa, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan – have notified the Act. Seven UTs have also done so. But the most significant point would be why not Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and the remaining states? The Government has accepted that 21 per cent teachers are without professional qualifications. The ministry could claim the credit for sanctioning 4.5 lakh additional posts of teachers but even among the existing sanctioned posts in state schools, there is a shortage of 5.8 lakh teachers. The total additional number estimated a year ago was around 13 lakh. The recruitment procedure in states is still archaic and no one is held responsible if the vacancies in larger states exceed even beyond 25-30 per cent. Recall Operation Blackboard Scheme introduced after the National Policy of Education, 1986, which promised to convert every single-teacher school into at least a double-teacher school. Even today, there are 9 per cent single-teacher schools in the country. The RTE has made no impact on this situation. The actual percentage of single-teacher schools may be much higher than the official figures. In such conditions, quality is bound to be a casualty. Inadequate learner attainments are a major cause of children being withdrawn from schools within three-four years. Even official figures admit 8.1 million children not entering schools. Is it not shocking that only 50 per cent of those who come to class I finish class VIII. Among them, more than 50 per cent are deficient in learner attainments. No nation can accept this situation. The neglect of the criticality of taking the state governments on board now stands exposed. Visit a primary school in a remote area of Bihar or Uttar Pradesh and talk to teachers about RTE. This interaction would result in shocking revelation of the schools being unconcerned about the significance of the RTE. For them, they receive so many routine instruction from above; nothing new about it.

The implementation of the RTE required environment-building as the first step. It was possible only when state governments were enthusiastic about it and their functionaries convinced of the “change” that was being expected to occur post-April 2010. Every teacher deserved reading material on the implications and his/her changed role, particularly the responsibility to generate awareness among people. This aspect remained ignored at every stage: nothing has visibly and effectively changed in the sector of universal elementary education in India during the last one year. The RTE can’t be effective if the teacher-taught ratio remains skewed; if the presence of teachers remains elusive, particularly in rural schools; if the teachers are continuously assigned duties other than teaching in spite of all pronouncements not to do so. A significant outcome of this one year could be put as: there has been no change in the approach, attitude and work culture of those responsible for successful implementation of the RTE. It is an open secret that around 20 per cent private/public schools charging high fees cater to the educational needs of the children from elite and the privileged sections of the society. The concept of neighbourhood schools or common school system has never been sincerely pursued. The KendriyaVidyalayas were established to cater to the requirements of the wards of all categories of the Central government employees. The elite sections of these services did not relish the idea of “all” and a Sanskriti school was set up in Chanakyapuri, Delhi, for the higher echelons of bureaucracy. Now the Centre shall “provide funds for the infrastructure development (capital expenditure) for all Sanskriti schools which will be set up in other states”. The government’s priorities, including its commitment and sincerity to the elite, are as clear as the day light. During the Common wealth Games, it was pointed out that 60 government schools in Delhi are running in tents. The point is: Are public funds needed for these schools or to establish more Sanskriti schools? [J S Rajput, former Director of the NCERT, in The New Sunday Express – Magazine, p.8 of 10 April 2011]

Local Managers Meeting et al...

Today the local managers of all our R. C. Schools, the education of co-ordinators of all the eight foranates, the forane education convenors and the forane animators were invited to be introduced into the annual plan and budget, the newly formed transfer policy etc. Nearly some thirty three people participated, both priests and laity.