Adult literacy programmes quietly transform lives across State

For 65-year old S Amudhavalli, hailing in North Chennai, to be able to write her name properly and put the signature in the pension receipt when the postman comes to deliver the money is a great moment of joy. Just a few months ago, Amudhavalli could not write her name.

Thanks to the initiative by the Tamil Nadu Directorate of Non-formal and Adult Education, which aims to eradicate illiteracy by providing basic education, many senior citizens and women like Amudhavalli are slowly joining the ever-expanding tribe of literates in the State.

The adult literacy programme will not only eradicate illiteracy by providing basic education but also ensure vocational skills and equivalency education. 

Various adult literacy programmes such as Rural Functional Literacy, State Adult Education Programme, Non-Formal Education for the learners, Mass Programme of Functional Literacy, Total Literacy Campaign, Post Literacy, Continuing Education Campaign and Equivalency Programme were implemented by the School Education Department.

“Adult Literacy programmes focus not only on basic education but also on providing skill based vocational training which will invariably lead to holistic development,” K Rajaram, a senior officer, said.

He said that the programme aims to impart functional literacy and numeracy to non-literate and innumerate adults to enable the neo-literate adults continue their learning beyond basic literacy and acquire equivalency to formal educational system, it will also impart relevant vocational skills to non-literate and neo-literate adults to improve their earning and living conditions and to evolve a learning society by providing opportunities to neo-literate adults for continuing education.

In Tamil Nadu, ‘Karkum Bharatham’ scheme has been implemented successfully in various districts, especially Dharmapuri, Salem, Erode, Perambalur, Villupuram, Ariyalur, Tiruvannamalai, Tiruppur and Krishnagiri, which were identified as the districts with female literacy less than 50 per cent.

“The scheme focused on facilitating adults to pursue their basic literacy beyond the formal school system. Special focus was given to women, scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, minorities and other disadvantaged groups,” the official said. According to him, the programme was implemented at an outlay of Rs 160.90 crore, shared by the Centre and State in a 60:40 ratio till the completion of the scheme.

Under this programme, as on March, 2019, a total of 3,602 Adult Education Centers were established at Gram Panchayats in several districts. Basic Literacy and Equivalency Education were imparted to the adults through these centres.

As the State government further enhanced the education programme by setting up 50 model Adult Education Centres, which were equipped with Information and Communication Technology (ICT) materials and other accessories to motivate the adult learners towards next level of learning, many beneficiaries, who got educated through this programme, ensured not only basic education but also got benefited from the vocational programme.

“In addition to basic literacy, the learners were provided hands-on vocational training in making jewellery, phenyle, soap oil, soap powder, candle, incense, embroidery, sewing, soft toys and ear studs to improve their earning capacity,” the official concerned said.

“After basic education, I was trained in candle making, which helped me earn for my family,” S Marimuthu from Anakaputhur near the city said. Marimuthu, an illiterate earlier, said that he had shifted his family to Chennai after he lost his make shift petty shop during a flood few years ago at Aliyur village near Villupuram taluk.

Now, Marimuthu, with the help of Adult Education programme, has opened a bank account on his own and his children were made to study in a government school at Pallavaram. “I filled my son’s application form during his school admission,” he beamed with pride.

Similarly, K Shoba, a house help from Pammal, said she came from neighbouring Andhra Pradesh in 2011 and settled in Kancheepuram district. “After adult education, I could not only manage to get a moderate loan from a bank but also was able to join a self-help group to make pickles,” she said.

Assessment tests were conducted and basic literacy certificates were issued to the adult learners in co-ordination with National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS). “Most of them take up level A programme, which teaches basics on reading and writing,” S Vijayalakshmi, who conducted classes in Thambaram Taluk, said.

She said the certificate, which were received by the beneficiaries, will be registered in the all-India database maintained by NIOS. “This data will be useful while taking census related to literacy percentage of a particular State,” she added.

As per the data given by the School Education Department, in 2010-11, only 2.67 lakh persons received the certificate for basic literacy. However, the Adult Education Programme saw a huge success in 2018-19 and about 25.39 lakh people benefited and received the certificate from NIOS.

“The scheme targeted only 24.57 lakh illiterates as per the latest census. But during implementation, 25,39,688 lakh illiterates successfully attained basic literacy,” the government official said.