ADULT EDUCATION
 

National Literacy Mission

9.1.1 Literacy is now accepted as an indispensable component of Human Resource Development. It is an essential tool of communication and learning, for acquiring and sharing of knowledge and information, a pre-condition for an individual's growth and for national development. National Literacy Mission (NLM) which aims at imparting functional literacy to 80 million adult illiterates in the 15-35 age group by 1995 is one of the most concerted efforts attempted so far for the promotion of literacy in the country. The Mission established important milestones during this year and also achieved international recognition for the efforts which had been put in through Total Literacy Campaigns. These campaigns for total literacy are slowly but steadily, creating a social churning, with the increasing awareness and empowerment of the people regarding the causes of their derivation and moves towards amelioration of the condition through organisation, and through participation in the process of development.

9.1.2 In the year 1993 the International Jury awarded the Noma Prize to the INDIA NATIONAL FEDERATION OF UNESCO CLUBS AND ASSOCIATIONS (INFUCA) submitted by the Asian Pacific Federation of UNESCO Clubs and Association for (1) having centred literacy education activities on raising awareness among underprivileged group, in particular the Koragas, one of the poorest groups living in remote areas in southern India, conducting classes at six learning centres and providing lessons to koraga women in their homes; (2) having expanded activities from one to more than twenty villages involving regular contacts with villagers to raise awareness of the need for education and school attendance, encouraging adults to attend literacy classes and send their children to school, conducting surveys, distributing educational materials for new literates and making access to schools easier; (3) having emphasized the preservation of the koraga culture and customs, publishing and distributing to every koraga colony a monthly newspaper in the indigenous language, establishing a koraga museums, organising folklore events for non- formal education purposes, inculcating values of human dignity and equality and helping the Koragas to become more aware of their rights, improving their living conditions, assisting them to register for employment and undertake income-generating activities.

9.1.3 The Jury also awarded Honourable Mention to the BHAVNAGAR JILLA SAKSHARTA SAMITI, INDIA for (1) having planned, monitored and executed the Total Literacy Campaign in Bhavnagar District, mobilised spiritual organisations and voluntary agencies, provided volunteer instructions, carried out door-to door surveys to identify both male and female illiterates; (2) having increased the enrolment of children in the formal system through women's literacy, initiated a vocational training programme, published and distributed to libraries reading material for new literates on population education, health,

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women's legal rights and environmental issues, established more than one thousand mini-libraries and information centres for new literates.

Total literacy Campaign

9.2.1 The successful conclusion of the Total Literacy Campaign (TLC) in district Ernakulam (Kerala) in January 1990 has led to the acceptance of the TLC as the most important strategy of the National Literacy Mission (NLM) for eradication of illiteracy in the target age-group of 15-35. The TLC is marked by certain positive characteristics that it is area specific, time-bound, delivered through voluntarism, cost-effective and outcome-oriented. The TLC is implemented by Zilla Saksharata Samitis (ZSS) specially constituted under the District Collector. The ZSS, with it membership drawn from all sections of the society, ensures its participative nature. Besides, the task-specific sub-committees of the ZSS, popular committees are also constituted at all levels from the district down to the village panchayats, which are animated by the culture of equality.

9.2.2 The TLC presupposes the generation of a positive demand of the people for literacy through appropriate environment-building programmes. The initial effort at environment-building is closely followed by a door-to-door literacy survey during which potential learners and volunteers are identified. Suitable primers (in 3 parts) are developed through the State Resource Centres in accordance with the pedagogic technique of Improved Pace and Content of Learning (IPCL). Primer-specific training is provided to the Resource Persons, Master Trainers and Volunteer Instructors.

9.2.3 Two activities, namely environment-building as well as monitoring and internal evaluation, are continued through the teaching/learning activity which accounts for a total of 200 hours spread over a period of 6 months. An external impact/summative evaluation is made at the conclusion of the teaching (PLC) to mop up the left-over illiterates and to consolidate the gains of literacy acquired during TLC, and to enable the neo-literates to develop abilities for self-learning.

9.2.4 The TLC/PLCs are implementing through direct funding to ZSS by the Central and State Governments in the ratio 2:1 Besides the funding arrangement, the active involvement of State Governments is ensured also through the identification of the District Collector with the ZSS. The Collectors have traditionally been responsible for law and order and over the last few years have been made responsible for Welfare Programmes like IRDP, NREP, JRY etc. The enlarged role of the collectors has ensured their active leadership for the TLC as well. The TLCs, by and large, have enlisted the enthusiastic participation of all sections of the Society, especially the women, the weaker sections, etc.

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Following is the number of TLC/PLC projects approved so far:

   
        
                  Projects            No. of              No. of Districts
                                      Projects                 covered
        
                  TLC                 238                 258
        
                  PLC                  57                  80
        
                                          

9.2.5 The focus of the Total Literacy Campaigns has now shifted to the Hindi belt where bulk of the illiterate population is residing which hampers the real development of this area. it is realised/expected that in the remaining Plan period, a continued input of Total Literacy Campaign can cause a major dent in the problem of adult illiteracy. So far 80 districts in Hindi speaking States have already been approved for Total Literacy Campaigns. The details of the projects approved are enclosed in Annexure-I.

Environment Building - Bharat Gyan Vigyan Jatha -II

9.3.1 An appropriate environment is most crucial for the success of any total literacy campaign. This input is an essential component of the overall strategy of the National Literacy Mission. The positive experience of Bharat Gyan Vigyan Jatha (BGVJ) of 1990 helped. Firstly, while the BGVJ had to content with major caste and communal events, it nevertheless placed literacy as an issue before the people. The involvement of thousands of politicians, administrators, educationalists and media persons taken together with the demand for literacy programmes generated in the villages, brought literacy on to the political agenda of the nation. The Bharat Gyan Vigyan Jatha brought together a number of diverse voluntary organisations, peoples, science movements, individuals and groups, trade unions and service associations, youth and students and women's movements and adult educators. Their networking through the Jatha made literacy work a personal and common organisational priority for thousands all over the country.

9.3.2 The impact of the Bharat Gyan Vigyan Jatha was not uniform all over the country. It was weak especially in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. In Orissa and Madhya Pradesh the impact was limited. The limited impact was due to the disturbances caused by the agitations and Political turmoils when Jathas were underway in October/November, 1990.

9.3.3 In order to make another effort to build up environment favourable to the campaign, particularly in these states a BGV-II was launched between 2nd October and 14th November, 1992.

9.3.4 The BGVs also organised a SAMATA Kalajatha between March 8 April 9, 1993 It addressed to the themes of education and

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equality of women. The explicit aim was to draw women and women's organisations into the literacy campaign and to highlight the need of education the girl child. The event was marked by nearly 120 young women and men taking out eight women's kalajathas from different parts of the country and converging at Jhansi (U.P) on April 8, 1993.

Arun Ghosh Committee

9.4.1 An Expert group was constituted in April, 1993 under the chairmanship of Prof. Arun Ghosh, former Member, Planning Commission to conduct a Status-cum-Impact evaluation of the Total Literacy Campaigns, Launched in different parts of the country since 1990-91. The objectives which have been tentatively decided for the study are as follows :-

(a) (i) to measure the outcome of literacy campaigns among learners/participants with respect to prescribed levels of literacy as per NLM norms

(ii) To analyse the estimated number of persons made literate by gender, age groups and social groups (SC/ST and others).

(b) The processes and effectiveness of environment building/mass mobilisation through mass literacy campaigns.

(c) Involvement and partnership between government bodies and voluntary groups in literacy campaigns.

(d) Duration of implementation of the campaign with special emphasis on the duration of teaching/learning.

(e) Resources available and mobilised for mass literacy campaigns including the cost effectiveness of the campaign.

(d) To study and assess the fall out an impact of the literacy campaign on related socioeconomic development programmes such as primary education, health, nutrition, family welfare gender sensitivity, women and child development programmes, national integration etc.

9.4.2 The group is expected to submit its report within a period of one year.

Post literacy & Continuing Education (PL & CE)

9.5.1 The total literacy campaigns which are efforts at mass mobilisation have led to the emergence of a large number of neo- literates. These neo-literates are a complex group with varying levels of achievement in literacy and numeracy. Adequate provision is to be made for their post literacy and continuing

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education to prevent their relapse into illiteracy.

9.5.2 The National Literacy Mission when it was launched in May 1988 had made arrangements for institutionalising post literacy and continuing education by setting up Jana Shikshan Nilayams (JSNs). Over 22,000 JSNs have been sanctioned since then, and they were attuned to the needs of the centre-based programme. With the shift from the centre-based approach to the mass campaigns approach, need was felt for a more dynamic mechanism. An Expert Group on Post Literacy & Continuing Education under the Chairmanship of Shri Satyen Maitra was set up last year to look into this aspect. The Group had recommended a programme providing for remedition, continuation and application of skills. These recommendations form the core of the strategy of post literacy campaigns.

Voluntary Agencies

9.6.1 The Central Scheme of Assistance to Voluntary Agencies (VAs) in Adult Education came into operation under the National Literacy Mission (NLM) in 1987-88. Initially the assistance was provided to VAs for implementation of projects on the Centre Based pattern. Subsequently the Scheme was revised in the light of the recommendations made by a Sub-Group set up by the Executive Committee of the National Literacy Mission Authority (NLMA). Revised guidelines were circulated to all State Governments/Union Territory Administrations and to all the State Resource Centres (SRCs).

9.6.2 Under the revised guidelines, financial assistance will now be provided for the implementation of Volunteer based Total Literacy Campaigns (TLC). The projects will be cost effective, area specific and result oriented. The targeted learners are the adult illiterates in the age group 15-35. No more projects would be sanctioned on the Centre based pattern. The approach would be one of total voluntarism and no payment would be made to the instructors and volunteers. Preference would be given to VAs having a good track record in social service in general and Adult Education in particular.

9.6.3 The entire scheme which has so far been implemented centrally at the national level, has been decentralised. The responsibility for identification and selection of VAs, sanctioning the projects, disbursing grants-in-aid, monitoring, evaluation etc. has been entrusted to the SRCs. However, the Central Govt. would continue to sanction projects to VAs, especially VAs of All-India nature, wherever necessary. The proposals of the VAs would be considered by the Grants-in-aid Committee.

9.6.4 Seventy-one TLC projects, including 19 sanctioned during 1993-94, have so far been sanctioned to 69 VAs for making a total of 14.47 lakh persons literate. 5 projects are being implemented in Assam, 1 in Andhra Pradesh, 5 in Bihar, 3 in Madhya Pradesh, 3 in Orissa, 1 in Punjab, 9 in Rajasthan, 12 in

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Tamil Nadu, 29 in Uttar Pradesh, 1 in West Bengal and 2 in New Delhi. The project periods of these projects range between one to three years.

9.6.5 During the current financial year recurring grant for continuation of 30 Jana Shikhan Nilayam (JSN) projects has been sanctioned to 23 VAs. Post Literacy Campaign (PLC) projects, for providing post literacy services to the neo-literates of the TLC projects, have been sanctioned to 13 VAs. One VA has been bringing out a publication called "Sabla" for the last three years, focussing on women's issues. This publication is circulated among the JSNs in Hindi speaking States. A Nucleus cell already sanctioned to a VA, for involving school students in literacy work, remained in operation. The SRCs all over the country conducted macro-level environment writers and Media.

9.6.6 All the SRCs have also requested to come up with innovative project proposals such as organisation of symposium, workshops etc. for mobilising various sections of the society for participation in NLM activities. Seven District Resource units remained in operation for providing techno-pedagogic resource support to the Adult Education programme.

9.6.7 A list of VAs which had received grants amounting to Rs.1 lakh and above during 1992-93 is enclosed.

Academic and Technical Resource Support

9.7.1 Twenty-one State Resource Centres continued to function to provide academic and technical resource support to the adult Education Programme throughout the country. Fourteen of them are functioning in the voluntary sector, three in universities and four in State Departments of Adult Education.

9.7.2 The SRCs have made a valuable contribution to the National Literacy Mission by designing basic teaching/learning materials based on the technique of IPCL for both TLC and PLC. They conducted training for a large number of AE functionaries, formulated guidelines for evaluation and for taking up of innovative projects. The SRCs were also requested to take up macro-level environment building by organising writer's and Media persons workshops.

9.7.3 Most of the SRCs are actively associated with the total literacy campaigns right from the planning stage to their conclusion, and also with training as well as the development and supply of material for post literacy and continuing education. The SRCs likewise provide such support to the programmes organised by voluntary agencies, Nehru Yuva Kendras, educational institutions etc.

Rural Functional Literacy Projects

9.8.1 Rural Functional Literacy Project (RFLP) is one of the oldest schemes initiated right with the launching of the National

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Adult Education Programme of 2nd October, 1978. It has been a centre based programme. On the basis of findings and recommendations of evaluation studies as also internal assessment, the scheme was re- oriented and several structural changes were made. Following the success of the Total Literacy Campaign, the centre based programme of RFLP has been closed down in almost all States/UTs. It is now proposed to continue these projects only in the State of Jammu & Kashmir, North Eastern States border districts of Rajasthan and other difficult terrains, hilly areas and isolated pockets.

Shramik Vidyapeeths (SVPs)

9.9.1 Thirty-seven SVPs continued to function in 1992-93 in different industrial and urban centres of the country. They represent an institutional framework for offering non-formal, adult and continuing education and polyvalent training programmes to industrial workers, to their family members, self-employed members and prospective workers etc. Of them, 1 SVP at Delhi is run by the Central Government, 3 SVPs by universities, 25 by autonomous bodies and remaining 8 by State Governments.

9.9.2 Each SVP has a nucleus of professional staff under the control of a Director assisted by two or three full time Programme Officers, Additionally, each SVP also engages local resource persons on part-time basis to impart various skills or organise courses relevant to specific areas. Prior to conducting a programme or starting a course, a socioeconomic profile and work plan for operationalisation of activities are designed by the SVPs. Such profiles help in having a proper understanding of the manpower needs of the clientele and the resources which can be mobilised. The programmes of the SVPs have helped diverse sections of society living in urban, semi-urban and industrial areas such as illiterate, semi- literate, skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled, covering inter-alia, the weaker sections such as Scheduled Castes/Tribes, physically and orthopaedically handicapped and women in distress.

9.9.3 Eight Shramik Vidyapeeths selected, for implementing UNICEF assisted literacy linked vocational programmes for women and girls have successfully completed the programme. Adult Literacy Programmes have now been taken up by all SVPs on a larger scale. Accreditation to National Open School has been secured for 24 SVPs, the certificates of which have thus become more acceptable for the job market.