National Literacy Mission
Literacy is the backbone of a progressive and the heartbeat of a developing nation. A literate nation is free from any kind of slavery and open to varied arenas of progress. But, to remove the scourge of illiteracy from a vast country like India is a tough mission. To convert this tough mission into an achievable one, the Government of India initiated the National Literacy Mission (NLM) in 1988. The mission aims at imparting functional literacy to millions of Indians, especially those in the age-bracket of 15-35 years.
The National Literacy Mission works at two levels:
- General Council
- Executive Council
The General Council is headed by the Ministry of Human Affairs and the Executive Council by the Secretary (Elementary Education and Literacy). The Directorate of Adult Education provides necessary technical and resource support to the National Literacy Mission Authority (NLMA).
The following are the three major campaigns under the National Literacy Mission:
TOTAL LITERACY CAMPAIGNS (TLC)
This model is the dominant strategy for the eradication of adult illiteracy in India. TLC campaigns are area-specific, time-bound, volunteer-based, cost-effective and outcome-oriented. The campaigns are implemented through district-level literacy committees which are registered under the Societies Registration Act as independent and autonomous bodies to provide a unified umbrella under which a number of individuals and organisations work together.POST LITERACY PROGRAMME (PLP)
Post-literacy programmes attempt to give interested learners an opportunity to harness and develop their learning potentials after completion of a course in basic literacy. Post literacy programmes are open to neo-literates in the age group of 9-35 who have completed the basic literacy course under the total literacy campaigns, dropouts from primary schools and pass outs from Non formal Education (NFE) programmes.CONTINUING EDUCATION PROGRAMME (CEP)
After the impingement of literacy and adult education programmes another challenge that came before the National Literacy Mission was to create a Continuing Education System and maintain a channelled continuous and life-long learning process. Thus, the scheme of Continuing Education was taken up. The Continuing Education Scheme is multi-faceted and is postulated on the principles of treating basic literacy, post literacy and later continuing education. Above all the scheme aims at addressing the socio-economic situations of the community to provide infrastructure for larger development initiatives.
View the state-wise position of Total Literacy Campaigns (TLC), Post Literacy Programme (PLP) and Continuing Education Programme (CEP) sanction status.
SUPPORT TO NON GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS
NLM also provides assistance to NGOs in the field of adult education. The objective of the Scheme is to secure extensive involvement ofNGOs in National Literacy Mission. NLM provides monetary grants to NGOs for undertaking projects of basic literacy, post-literacy continuing education and other projects, including evaluation of literacy/adult education programmes and for establishing resource centers. This scheme widens the scope of NLM as NGOs operating in remote areas can undertake literacy projects and educate rural people.
View the highlights of 2001 census literacy rate in the States and UTs of India.
NGOs can apply for financial assistance for carrying out literacy missions by downloading the Application Form for NGOs
NLM AND WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT
NLM has played a significant role in creating an environment where women themselves demand knowledge and study to empower themselves. As a result of these literacy programmes, the female literacy rate during the period 1991-2001 increased by 14.87%. This was 3.15% more compared to male literacy rate that was 11.72% in 1991-2001. This substantiates the role NLM has played in women empowerment.
Realising the critical importance of education in development of the country, in the last few years, the Government of India has increased its investment in education and have taken several positive steps towards exploring the potential of technologies at all levels of education. National Literacy Mission is one such great step towards educating India.
National
Literacy Mission
Literacy
is the backbone of a progressive and the heartbeat of a developing nation. A
literate nation is free from any kind of slavery and open to varied arenas of
progress. But, to remove the scourge of illiteracy from a vast country like
India is a tough mission. To convert this tough mission into an achievable one,
the Government of India initiated the National Literacy Mission (NLM) in 1988.
The mission aims at imparting functional literacy to millions of Indians,
especially those in the age-bracket of 15-35 years.
The
National Literacy Miss
ion works at two levels:
1. General
Council
2. Executive
Council
The General Council is headed by the Ministry of Human Affairs and the Executive Council by the Secretary (Elementary Education and Literacy). The
Directorate of Adult Education provides necessary technical and resource
support to the National Literacy Mission Authority (NLMA).
The
following are the three major campaigns under the National Literacy Mission:
TOTAL LITERACY CAMPAIGNS (TLC)
POST LITERACY PROGRAMME (PLP)
CONTINUING EDUCATION PROGRAMME (CEP)
View the state-wise position of Total
Literacy Campaigns (TLC), Post Literacy Programme (PLP) and Continuing
Education Programme (CEP)
sanction status.
SUPPORT TO NON GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS
NGOs can apply for financial assistance for carrying out literacy missions by downloading the Application Form for NGOs
NLM AND WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT
Realising
the critical importance of education in development of the country, in the last
few years, the Government of India has increased its investment in education
and have taken several positive steps towards exploring the potential of
technologies at all levels of education. National Literacy Mission is one such
great step towards educating India.
TOTAL LITERACY CAMPAIGN
The
Total Literacy Campaigns (TLC) model is
now accepted as the dominant strategy for eradication of adult illiteracy in
India. These campaigns are area-specific, time-bound, volunteer-based,
cost-effective and outcome-oriented. The thrust is on attainment of functional
literacy through prescribed norms of literacy and numeracy. The learner is the
focal point in the entire process and measurement of learning outcome is
continuous, informal, participative and non-threatening.
The campaign is implemented in stages, which may be overlapping at times. These should be understood clearly and followed meticulously.
The campaign is implemented in stages, which may be overlapping at times. These should be understood clearly and followed meticulously.
·
Preparing the Ground - The initiation of a total literacy campaign begins with a process
of consultation and consensus, involving political parties, teachers, students
and cultural groups. A core team is identified and the project is formulated.
·
Creation of the Organisational Structure - The campaigns are implemented through district-level literacy
committees which are registered under the Societies Registration Act as
independent and autonomous bodies to provide a unified umbrella under which a
number of individuals and organisations work together. Leadership is provided
by the district collector/chief secretary and the zila parishad (district
council). All sections of society are given due representation in planning and
implementation of the programme. The structure rests on three pillars -
participatory people's committees, full-time functionaries and area coordinators,
and a support system provided by government officials. It forms an interactive
and a communicative process of management and implementation. The campaign is
delivered through volunteers without any expectation of reward or incentive.
·
Survey and District Profile - A detailed survey is conducted in the district, to enumerate and
identify the non-literate people. The process of the survey also provides
opportunities for person contact and interaction. During the survey, volunteer
teachers and master trainers are also identified.
·
Environment Building - This is an extremely important part of the total literacy
campaigns, where mass mobilisation takes place through a multifaceted
communication strategy, which creates the right environment and enthusiasm for
teaching-learning activities. The success of a total literacy campaign depends
to a large extent, on the effectiveness with which all sections of society are
mobilised.
The
basic objective of the environment building stage is to generate a demand for
literacy. Its momentum has to be sustained - it must not merely precede the
campaign, but pervade it throughout. Environment building includes:
·
Mobilising public opinion
·
Creating community participation
·
Sensitising educated sections of the community and recruiting them
as volunteers
·
Mobilising and motivating non-literate people to become literate
Several
media are utilised for environment building. Effective results have been
obtained by using folk art forms, jathas, street plays, nukkad nataks, bhajans
and kirtans as also padyatras, literacy walls, etc.
Kamarajar
district in Tamil Nadu launched its total literacy campaigns on the 50th
anniversary of the Quit India Movement and called it 'Quit Illiteracy
Movement'. More than 1,000 performances of jathas were held. An effigy of the
demon of illiteracy was burnt. Buffaloes and elephants were painted with
literacy slogans and taken around on the streets, to create an interest in
literacy. Letters and words were hung from trees; there were wall writings in
many places. There was a monthly radio programme on literacy as well as a
monthly newsletter. Amongst the learners were rickshaw-pullers, Muslim women
and members of the nomadic gypsy tribe. Building on this, six campaigns were
integrated in the post literacy stage - health, legal literacy, freedom
struggle, disaster management, small savings and water management in
agriculture. Also, libraries were opened in each village.
·
Development of Teaching-Learning Materials - The objective is to make the materials relevant, while keeping the
larger national canvas and its concerns in view. The materials are based on an
innovative pedagogy called Improved Pace and Content of Learning (IPCL) that
incorporates motivation-oriented teaching-learning material books especially
suited for neo-literates and adults have been prepared. A 3-grade primer is
used with each grade corresponding to a different level of literacy. The primer
contains exercises, tests and space for practice to achieve the objective of
imparting literacy in 200 hours.
·
Training of the Task Force - Training is conducted through key resource persons and master
trainers - one master trainer for every 25 to 30 volunteer teachers, and one
key resource person for every 25-30 master trainers. First the key resource
persons are trained, who in turn train the master trainers. Volunteer teachers
are then trained by the master trainers in batches.
·
Actual Learning Process - There are three progressive sets of primers. Each primer is an
integrated one, in the sense that it combines workbook, exercise book, tools of
evaluation of learning outcome, certification etc. The entire process is based
on the principle of self-evaluation. The tests are simple and participative.
Every learner is free to attain the desired level according to his/her
convenience. It is, however, expected that a learner should be able to complete
all the three primers within the overall duration of 200 hours spread over six
to eight months.
·
Monitoring and Evaluation - Monitoring and supervision of total literacy campaigns is done
through a periodic system of reporting, and visits of the officials of the
National Literacy Mission, State Directorates of Adult/Mass Education and the
State Resource Centres. The management information system in a campaign is
based on the twin principles of participation and correction. It has to be
accountable, credible and instead of being enrolment-oriented, it has to be
outcome-oriented.
Though
the total literacy campaign is meant to impart functional literacy, it also
disseminates a 'basket' of other socially relevant messages, such as enrolment
and retention of children in schools; immunisation; propagation of small family
norms; promotion of maternity and childcare; women's equality; and empowerment,
peace and communal harmony.
The achievement of total literacy campaigns has been slower in the Hindi
speaking states of Bihar, Haryana, Punjab, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh. The
conditions are different and demand innovative approaches.However, despite the slow take-off, the essence and the spirit of the campaign remain the same.
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