ADULT EDUCATION
The National Programme of Adult Education (NPAE) has been accord-
ed high priority by its, inclusion in the Minimum Needs Programme and
20-Point Programme, 1986. The National Literacy Mission has been
identified as one of five National Missions, to be undertaken, applying the
outcome of scientific and technological research for the benefit of the
deprived sections of society and areas which are crucial to the country's
development. The National Literacy Mission is not a substitution of the
on-going programmes of Adult Education. It is instead a Mission to bring
about a qualitative change and improvement in the pace and extent of
Adult Education Programme by-
(a) Intensive application of inputs of Science & Technology which
have been tested and proven with a view to, removing the
enviornmental, infrastructural and pedagogic constraints
inhibiting the pace, extent and quality of the programme
(b) Mobilization of various cross-sections of the society i.e. Political
Parties, Voluntary Agencies, Employers, Trade-Unions, Students,
(NSS, non-NSS and NCC), Youth, Women, members of Defence
Forces including members of Territorial Army, Ex-servicemen,
Prison staff etc.
With a view to working out the strategy and methodology of National
Literacy Mission and for operationalization of different areas of action,
10 Task Forces were constituted in June, 1987 and they have since com-
pleted their task. These areas are : National Authority of Adult Education,
National Institute of Adult Education, Media Support, Strengthening of
State Resource Centres, Process of Technology Demonstration, Management
Information System and Evaluation, Youth Training, Jana Shiksha Nilayam
and Supervision, Training of Instructors and Preraks and Adult Education
for Women's equality.
A series of measures are being taken to prepare action plans and to
operationalise the National Literacy Mission.
Rural Functional literacy Project This is a centrally sponsored scheme under which funds ate provided
on cent per cent basis in accodrance ith the approved financial pattern to
all the State Governments and Union Territory Administrations. The
scheme aims at setting up projects, upto 300 centres covering one or two
contiguous development blocks in each district and upto 100 centres in
hilly areas in some States. During 1987-88, 513 projects covering almost
all the districts, of the country were continued. In all, 38.79 lakhs learners
were enrolled under the RFLP by the end of September, 1987 in 1,31.190
Adult Education Centres. Of this, women constituted 54 per cent and
the members of SC & ST communities formed around 38 per cent.
In addition to Adult Education Centres sanctioned under the RFLP,
State Governments/Union Territory Administrations have also opened
1,07,254 Adult Education Centres under the State Adult Education
Programme (SAEP) with 32.11 lakh learners by the end of September,
1987.
A proposal for evaluation of the performance as well as the impact of
the centrally funded scheme of RFLP and the State Plan of RFLP has
been formulated and will be launched soon. It has been proposed to
engage about 30 external agencies for carrying out this evaluation.
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66 A
66 B
66 (C)
Voluntary Agencies The Ministry provides financial assistance to voluntary agencies working
in the field of adult education under which registered voluntary agencies
are eligible to receive grants for projects of functional literacy and post-
literacy, resource development, publications, holding of seminars etc. In
the context of launching of National Literacy Mission, it is proposed to
streamline the procedure contained in the present scheme, as also to involve
a number of lead agencies of national importance like Council for Advance-
ment of People's Action & Rural Technology (CAPART), Khadi & Village
Industry Commission (KVIC), Central Social Welfare Board (CSWB) and
other institutions devoted to areas of teaching, research and social work to
identify about 1000 additional voluntary agencies which will be actively
involved in the implementation of different aspects of NLM.
During 1987-88, 234 Adult Education Projects which were sanctioned
during the previous year, continued to run 11,1.40 centres. Additionally,
it is proposed to extend financial assistance to 200 more voluntary agencies
during the current financial year.
Twenty one Joint Evaluation Teams (comprising a representative each
of Central and State Governments and a non-official) were constituted
during 1987-88 to go into the details of the working of voluntary agencies
in the field of adult education. In the reports submitted to the Ministry,
they have made a number of pertinent observations which are of concern
to both Government as well as voluntary agencies. These are being proces-
sed further for corrective measures, for bringing about improvement in
implementation of the programme of adult education, as also with a view
to initiating necessary legal and penal action against the defaulting agencies
Students Involvement in Programmes- With a view to promoting involvement of students and teachers from
of Adult Education universities and colleges in literacy work in the age. group 15-35, the
University Grants Commission continued to provide financial assistance and
support to 92 universities and 2138 colleges, for setting up of adult education
centres through the Directorates of Adult and Continuing Education attached
to universities.
Additionally, the Government launched a programme on 1st May. 1986
involving approximately 2 lakh NSS (National Service Scheme) and 1 lakh
non-NSS students in the universities and colleges for implementing the pro-
gramme of functional literacy on a voluntary basis. Literacy kits have
been provided to the learners by the State Resource Centres free of cost.
The entire programme is sought to be implemented in terms of voluntary
effort on the part of students. So far 4.20 lakh special learning literacy
kits have been developed, printed and delivered and the entire cost has
been borne by the Department of Education, Government of India.
According to the interim report received, about 2.90 lakh learners have
been enrolled so far.
Strengthening of Administration in Financial assistance is being provided to 24 States/Union Territories for
States/Union Territories continuation/creation of necessary administrative structure both at the
State and the district level, in accordance with the financial pattern approved
under the scheme.
Provision of Academic & Technical There are, in all, 11 State Resource Centres which are being financed
Support to State Resource Centres by the Department of Education and they provide necessary academic and
technical support to the Adult Education Programme by way of production
of materials for basic, post-literacy and continuing education, as also by
way of imparting training. Additionally, 2 State Resource Centres are
being run by the State Governments and 3 by the University Grants Com-
mission. Besides, 4 Research Cells have been approved for Manipur,
Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, out of which two at Manipur and
Arunachal Pradesh have been formally set up. The SRCs are autonomous
bodies and are managed by their Board of Management. A financing
pattern with 80 per cent grant by the Central Government, 15 per cent by
the State Government and 5 per cent by voluntary agencies has been laid
down in respect of 11 SRCs as above. The SRCs have taken up an
additional responsibility of preparation of kit materials and training of
Master Trainers under the Mass Programme of functional literacy. They
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have also taken up the development of software to provide necessary media support to the Adult Education Programme. A proposal is under contem- plation to have an indepth review of the existing functioning of SRCs, with a view to activating them and also with a view to setting up new SRCs in respect of States and Union 'territories which are not being serviced by the SRCs at present.
According to reports received so far, 4.20 lakh kits have been prepared and training of Master Trainers under MPFI has also been undertaken. The other commendable work done by SRCS include preparation, of variety of basic and post-literacy material in regional languages, organisation of training of supervisors, conduct of workshop for development of curriculum, bringing out newsletters and wall-newspaper for neo-literates, production of films/cassettes, broadcasting of dramas on AIR and production of special material on population education.
Shramik Vidyapeeths (SVPs) Thirty-eight Shramik Vidyapeeths have been set up with a view to providing opportunities for integrated non-formal education and training to the workers and their families both in the organized as well as in the Unorganized sectors in the urban, semi-urban and rural areas. Activities of these Vidyapeeths are polyvalent in nature catering to a wide range of requirement of beneficiaries with thrust on imparting training and develop- ment of technical skills.-Educational and training programmes of varying duration were conducted by the SVPs between 1-4-87 to 30-9-87 covering 59.200 beneficiaries, of whom 24,086 are male and 35,122 female. About 74 per cent of these participants have had some education while about 26 per cent were illiterate. The programme catered to 37,211 beneficiaries who belonged to the age group of 15--35 years. Majority of the bene- ficiaries came from low income groups and from lower strata of society. Out of the total beneficiaries covered through education and training pro- grammes organised in urban and industrial setting about 21 per cent were members of the Scheduled Castes and 5 per cent were members of the Scheduled Tribes. The programme of training and development of skills has been particularly found to be beneficial for children, orphans, destitutes, physically and orthopaedically handicapped persons, widows, divorced women and other women in distress.
A comprehensive review of the SUPs was got conducted during the year with a view to assessing the quality of overall performance of the programme and identifying the deficiencies and shortcomings and correct- ing weaknesses. Comprehensive guidelines have, thereafter, been issued to SVPs to prepare Socio-economic profiles and conduct surveys of areas where specific units of activities could be promoted conforming to specific aptitudes, skills and preferences of the beneficiaries.
International & Unesco Matters A three-member delegation was sent to GDR under Cultural Exchange Programme to study adult education facilities available there. A Regional Seminar on functional and civic education among rural women was organised at Lucknow in October-November, 1987 in collaboration with UNESCO. Participants from 12 countries in Asia and the Pacific region participated in the Seminar, Director-General, UNESCO launched "Asia- Pacific Programme of Education for All" (APPEAL) in February, 1987 in a ceremony at New Delhi with the aim of achieving universal primary education and eradication of illiteracy in Asia and the Pacific region. The Directorate of Adult Education organized the launching of UNESCO's new Regional Programme for Asia and Pacific-APPEAL as the national coordinator. In addition the Directorate organised in International Workshop on creation and production of innovative Neo-literate materials in collaboration with Asian Cultural Centre for Unesco (ACCU), Japan and UNESCO Regional Office, Bangkok.
Directorate of Adult Education The year 1987-88 witnessed several new and multi-faceted activities undertaken by the Directorate of Adult Education both on the side of professional resource Support as well as on creating mechanism for impro- ved management of the programme at all levels.
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One of the major activities related to the professional support provided in drafting and production of National Literacy Mission document and subsequent Task Forces constituted with a view to operationalising the Mission. Substantial progress was made in the preparation of Spatial Plans by various States. Guidance and support was provided by the Directorate by way of preparing a model Spatial Plan for the country and for Union Territory of Dadra & Nagar Haveli and also by consultation through visit to States.