CHAPTER X
ADULT EDUCATION

During the year 1973-74, a new strategy has been planned to initiate a major thrust for the provision of non-formal education including literacy to the large numbers of rural and urban community who have hitherto been deprived of the benefits of education. The new strategy includes the following elements

(1) A large programme of mass literacy and non-formal education will be launched using part-time service of a large number of workers especially for the youth in the age-group 15-25. The assistance of Nehru Yuvak Kendras will be mobilised in this programme. The services of large number of College students will be utilised for the programme. Every effort will be made to ensure that college students who are desirous of contributing; to the national effort in this areas are provided the unity and assistance for making at least 5 persons literate they obtain the first degree.

(2) The existing programmes of functional literacy related to High-yielding variety areas will be enlarged to include other occupations and areas.

(3) National Volunteer Service Corps under which students after graduation will work on a full-time basis for at least one year in rural areas will be for providing relevant and meaningful non-formal education and functional literacy linked to the life of the people in the rural areas.

(4) The services of voluntary, agencies and organisations will be increasingly used and encouraged in the above mentioned tasks.

(5) Special emphasis will be laid on the production of suitable literature for neo-literates and the development of library services for neo-literates.

(6) Emphasis will be placed in a non-formal education and literacy programmes on the inculcation of values in addition to the development of skills and knowledge.

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(7) Universities will be requested to emphasise in the promotion of adult and continuing education through opening Departments of Adult and Continuing Education, organizing training of instructors in literacy and functional literacy programmes, extending to the community around the benefits of intellectual leadership and further education facilities.

(8) Teacher Training Colleges will be requested to include adult literacy and non formal education in the teacher education curriculum.

Kisan Saksharta Yojana (Farmers' Functional Literacy Programme)

Kisan Saksharta Yojana is one of the three components of the integrated project of Farmers' Training and Functional Literacy, jointly operated by the Ministries of Education, Agriculture, and Information and Broadcasting. The other two components are Farmers' Training and Farm Broadcasting.

Started in 1967-68, in three districts, the functional literacy component progressively moved up to 10 districts in 1968-69 to 25 districts in 1969-70, to 60 districts in 1970-71, and to 80 districts in 1971-72. In 1972-73, the programme has been sanctioned for an additional 26 districts, bringing the total to 106 districts. By March 1973, 1,21,805 iliterate farmers had passed the functional literacy course, while 1,28,040 adults are enrolled in the Functional Literacy Classes. By the end of the Fourth Plan, about 3 lakhs would have been made functionally literates under the scheme. Progress had been made in the production of appropriate literature and this material is now available in ten different languages, including problem-oriented curricula and instructional materials for Functional Literacy participants. Orientation courses have been orgnaised for Key Personnel in Functional Literacy in almost all the State/Terri- tories covered under the programme. Training courses for Functional Literacy supervisors and teachers have also, been, organised.

The programmes of Farmers Functional Literacy will be, continued and expanded during the Fifth Plan to cover other areas and occupations.

Assistance to Voluntary Organisations Working in the Field of Adult-Education

During 1973-74 a provision of Rs. 10.00 lakhs is expected to be utilised on grants to voluntary organisations under the

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scheme, in the field of Adult Education. The grants will be increased to Rs. 20 lakhs during 1974-75.

Production of Literature for Neo-Literates

The scheme consists of the following components:

(i) National Prize Competition of Books for Neo-lite- rates;

(ii) Grants-in-aid to the State Governments for the production of literature for neo-literates;

(iii) Production of literature for Neo-literates through the Directorate of Adult Education;

(iv) Supply of literacy material for eradication of illiteracy through National Service Scheme (NSS).

The progress made in respect of the above programme is briefly given below.

(i) National Prize Competition of Books for `Neo -Literates:

During the year 1973-74 the scheme was reviewed and the 17th Prize Competition was announced inviting entries in all the 14 Indian languages viz. (1) Assamese (2) Bengali (3) Gujarati (4) Hindi (5) Kannada (6) Kashmiri (7) Malayalam (8) Telugu (9) Marathi (10) Oriya (11) Panjabi (12) Sindhi (13) Tamil and (14) Urdu. The results of the competition would be announced in June/July, 1974.

There will be about 40 prizes of Rs. 1,000/- each which will be awarded to the authors of the Books/manuscripts adjudged to be of sufficiently high quality to merit a prize in the competition.

(ii) Grants-in-aid to the State Governments for the Produc- tion of Literature for Neo-Literates:

During 1973-74, Central grants amounting to Rs. 1.40 lakhs was released to the State Governments for the production of literature for neo-literates.

(iii) Production of Literature for Neo-Literates through Directorate of Adult Education :

The Directorate of Adult Education, a subordinate office of this Ministry, helped the West Bengal Committee to Eradicate Illiteracy, and the Government primers and follow-up material through the Writers Workshops.

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(iv) Supply of Literacy Material for Eradication of Illiteracy through NSS Programme:

The Directorate of Adult Education helped various colleges and universities, who have been taking the programme of Eradication of illiteracy through NSS by supplying Guidelines for the operation of the Programme, helping in training the professors incharge of NSS and students from 19 universities and colleges and by supplying pertinent literacy materials in different languages. 61,500 sets of literacy material were supplied to various colleges and universities on the basis of the requirements indicated by these institutions.

Polyvalent Adult Education Centre (Shramik Vidyapeeth)

The Government of India continued giving financial assistance to the Shramik Vidyapeeth set,up in Bombay. The first instalment of Rs. 75,000/- has already been released and the second instalment of Rs. 25,000/- will be released before 31-3-74 During the period 1973-74, this Vidyapeeth would be able to codnuct 35 different types of courses.

Preliminary action has also been taken to set up another Shramik Vidyapeeth during 1973-74.

Fifth Five Year Plan

The Central Programmes in the, field of Adult Education included in the Draft Fifth Five Year Plan are : 

                                          

        No.  Name of the Scheme                  Financial allocation in the
                                                     Fifth Plan
                                                          (Rs. in lakhs)
                                          

        1         2                                            3
        
        1. Mass Programme of Adult Education for illiterate 
           persons in the age-group                               200
        
        2. Farmers Functional Literacy Programmes                 447
        
        3. Assistance to Voluntary Organisations in the filed 
           of Adult Education                                     200
        
        4. Linking Literacy with Employment Programmes            100
        
        5. Production of Literature and Materials for Neo-
           literates                                              200
        
        6. Continuing Education through Shramik Vidyapeeth and
           Gramik Vidyapeethas                                    150
           
        7. Adult Education through Universities (Extension 
           Services)                                              100 
        
        8. Libraries for Neo-Literates                            500
        
        9.  Other Programmes                                       10
        
                  Total                                         1,907