ADULT EDUCATION
 

12.1 In accordance with the National Policy on Education and Programme of Action the national adult education programme has been reviewed and a comprehensive programme i.e. the National Literacy Mission has been formulated.

12.2 National Literacy Mission-the Concept

The National Literacy Mission places emphasis on a thorough reorganisation of ongoing programmes of Adult Education. It will make an earnest and determined effort to identify and correct the environmental, infrastructural, peda-gogic and other deficiencies and constraints in the ongoing programme. While new institutional, management and resource structures and systems will be introduced, effort will be made to ensure better utilization of the existing infrastructure. As a technological Mission, the National Literacy Mission would harness and utilize the findings of scientific and technological research for the benefits of the deprived sections of the society and towards furtherance of the tasks which are considered crucial to the country's development. As a societal Mission it will mobilize and involve all Sections of the society such as political parties, employers, trade-unions, Voluntary agencies, youths, teachers, students, members of disciplined forces, ex-servicemen, prison management, house-wives etc.

12.3 National Literacy Mission-the Objective

In quantitative terms, the National Literacy Mission will impart functional literacy to 80 million illiterate persons in 15- 35 age- group, 30 million by 1990 and an additional 50 million by 1995. In qualitative terms, persons attaining functional literacy status would

- achieve self reliance in literacy and numeracy.

- be aware of the causes of their deprivation and move towads amelioration of their condition through Organisation.

- acquire skills to improve the economic status and general well being.

- imbibe the values of national integration, conservation of the environment, women's equality, observance of small family norm etc.

The focus of the National Literacy Mission will be on rural areas, particularly, women and persons belonging to SC/ST. By 1995, facilities for literacy learning, continuing education and vocational training will be extended to all parts of the country.

12.4 National Literacy Mission-Operationalization

Reorganization of the existing schemes-RFLP

On the basis of a study of evaluation reports and after consultation with States, the rural functional literacy project pattern has been revised, both in terms of enrichment of human resources, material and financial support, better supervision and integration of basic literacy with post-literacy and continuing education. To be specific, there is more emphasis in the reivsed scheme for production of standard teaching learning material, Pre-service, inservice and recurrent training of Adult Education functionaries, making the training more participative and communicative, reduction of span of suprvision from 30 Adult Education Centres to 8-10 Centres and institutionalization of continuing education through Jana Shikshan Nilayams (JSNs.)

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Shramik Vidyapeeths

The scheme of Shramik Vidyapeeths has been reviewed and reorganized in the context of NPE/ POA. Specific areas of action for them which are distinct from the activities of the Central Board of Workers Education of the Ministry of Labour, has been delineated and necessary changes required in the entire management system spelt out.

Voluntary Agencies

A joint evaluation of the work of the Voluntary Agencies has been completed and necessary follow up action on the basis of the findings of the evaluation reports has been initiated. A wider area of opera- tion and responsibility has been envisaged for those Voluntary Agen- cies whose work has been found to be absolutely satisfactory.

In regard to the performacne of certain Voluntary Agencies where there is scope for improvement, certain corrective measures by way of hold- ing workshops have been contemplated.

The frequency of the meetings of the Central Grants-in-Aid Committee has been increased to accelerate the pace of sanction and release of grant-in-aid to voluntary Agencies. During the current year, proposals of 319 Voluntary Agencies for 332 projects and 23,675 Centres with a total financial involvement of Rs.8.07 crores have been considered and approved.

- The existing scheme of assistance to Voluntary Agencies is being revised.

- Under the National Literacy Mission, Voluntary Agencies having the expertise, resource and commitment to the Adult Education Programme, will be identified directly by the National Literacy Mission Authority and also by certain intermediate Agencies in addition to the State Governments. This will accelerate the pace of receipt, processing and clearance of proposals from these Agencies.

- A scheme of imparting training to rural youth animators through Voluntary Agencies has been approved. To start with, a programme of imparting such training to 1,000 rural youth animators by Bhagwatullah Charitable Trust, Yellamanchili, Andhra Pradesh has been approved and operationalized. Two more such proposals are going to be shortly launched.

Continuning Education-Jana Shikshan Nilayams

- It is intended to institutionalize post-literacy and continuing education through Jana Shikshan Nilayams with the basic object of retaining literacy skills, providing facilities to enable the learners to continue their learning beyond elementary literacy and providing scope for application of learning for improvement of their living conditions. Keeping the above objective in view, detailed guidelines on the structure and functioning of JSNs, functionaries and beneficiaries there-of, as also resource sup- port to JSNs have been issued to all State Governments.

- Sanctions amounting Rs.7.28 crores have been issued to State Governments for opening 8565 Jana Shikshan Nilayams during the current financial year.

- States and Union Territories have been advised to open Libraries in their educational institutions and to strengthen the public library system for the benefit of the new literates, as also for promoting the cause of life-long learning.

- A National level workshop was organized on 9th-12th Feb., 88 jointly by the Directorate of Adult Education and the National Book Trust to review the existing literature for post-literacy and continuing education and to promote production of quality literature for neo-literates.

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Mass Programme of Functional Literacy

- The mass programme of functional literacy was launched in May, 1986 with the participation of about 2 lakh student volunteers. They in turn adopted about 4 lakh adult learners. During the current financial year, about 3 lakh learners have been enrolled under this programme so far.

- In consultation with the representatives of youth and sports department, the University Grants Commission, the NCC, boy-scouts and guides etc., it is proposed to mobilize student and non- student volunteers during the summer vaction, 1988.

- The State Resource Centres have been financially assisted to the extent of Rs. 205.00 lakhs for developing, printing and deliver- ing special literacy kits numbering 10.25 lakhs.

12.5 Administrative and Management support and system

At the national level, a National Literacy Mission Authority headed by the Union Minister of Human Resource Development is being set up. This will have representation of all concerned interests; would have functional autonomy and full powers to take all decisions for implementation of National Literacy Mission. Under the NLMA there will be an Executive Committee and the Mission Task Force headed by a Director-General which will operate within the prescribed ambit of their financial and administrative authority. Similar authorities, Committees and Task Forces are to be set up at the level of the State Government.

Resource support-Directorate of Adult Education New Delhi The Directorate of Adult Education which hitherto has been providing academic and technical support to the entire Adult Education programme all over the country will be converted into a National Institute of Adult Education. It will have a much wider arena for provision of resource support to the National Literacy Mission on the one hand and considerable functional autonomy and flexibility to achieve the desired objective on the other.

Training

A revised training manual emphasizing the participatory and communicative approach to training has been published in English. This is being translated into Hindi and other regional languages for wider dissemination. A massive programme for production of innovative training films has been launched by the Directorate. The Space Application Centre, Ahmedabad and other agencies have been entrusted with production of these films which will enable the Instructors to implement the motivation oriented Adult Education programme envisaged in the National Literacy Mission.

Study of rapid literacy learning techniques

The Directorate is studying the information collected on a number of rapid literacy learning methods which have been adopted at different places in the country with a view to standardizing and integrating them with functionality and awareness and promotion of national values.

Population Education

The stretegy under this programme is to integrate population education with the Adult Education Programme. This integration will take place by way of preparation of teaching, learning materials, special training materials, post-literacy and evaluation. The integrated programme has been launched in 5 States i.e. Bihar, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. The programme will be taken up in respect of the remaining States during this year and the next year.

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12.6 State Resource Centres

- As on date, we have 16 State Resource Centres, of which 11 are with the Voluntary Agencies and 5 are with the Universities and State Governments.

- A special review of the functioning of these SRCs has been taken up covering adequacy of coverage of all States and Union territo- ries by the SRCS, the effectiveness of such coverage and the quality of academic and technical support rendered by the SRCs.

- Pending this, steps have been taken to strengthen the SRCs in terms of additional man-power and equipment so that they are fully geared to play their role as envisaged for them in the NLM. They have been advised to develop standard teaching/learning materials as envisaged in the NLM and to develop better linkages of education with work on the one hand and adult education with development departments on the other.

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