Steps to widen ‘Karkum Bharatham’ coverage

As the current literacy rate is 80.33%, the school education department has planned to open additional adult education centres in more districts, where the female literacy rate is poor.

A senior official from the education department said, at present in Tamil Nadu, ‘Karkum Bharatham’ scheme is being implemented in nine districts such Dharmapuri, Salem, Erode, Perambalur, Villupuram, Ariyalur, Tiruvannamalai, Tiruppur and Krishnagiri, which were identified as the districts having female literacy less than 50%.

He said the scheme aims at facilitating adults to pursue education till they are able to achieve equivalence to Class 3, Class 5 and Class 8 and beyond in the formal school system. 

Accordingly, priority is given to women from scheduled caste and scheduled tribe, minorities and other disadvantaged groups from the age group of 15 and above. 

According to the latest census, the programme targets 24.57 lakh illiterates and intends to make them literates. He said this programme was implemented with an outlay of Rs 160.90 crore.

“Hundred per cent literacy could be achieved, if the scheme is also extended to other districts,” he said adding this year Chennai, Kancheepuram and Thiruvallur is likely to be included since it was found that in these districts has no 100 per cent female literacy.

Accordingly, adult education centres will be opened in the newly identified districts and they will provide education for 300 hours in order to prepare them for basic literacy assessment test which is conducted in August and March every year.