Adult literacy is a crucial factor in the development and progress of any country, and India is no exception. Despite impressive progress in increasing literacy rates over the past few decades, adult literacy in India still faces significant challenges.
According to the latest data from the Census of India, the overall literacy rate in the country is 74.04%. While this represents a significant improvement from previous decades, it also means that roughly a quarter of the adult population in India is illiterate. This is especially concerning given that literacy is closely linked to a range of important outcomes, including employment opportunities, economic well-being, and overall quality of life.
There are a number of factors that contribute to the low levels of adult literacy in India. One key challenge is the fact that many adults, especially in rural areas, never had the opportunity to attend school as children. This is often due to poverty, lack of access to education, and traditional gender roles that prioritize boys' education over girls' education. As a result, many adults in India lack the basic skills and knowledge that are necessary for participating fully in society and the economy.
Another factor contributing to low adult literacy rates in India is the lack of effective literacy programs for adults. While there are a number of initiatives and programs aimed at increasing adult literacy, many of these are underfunded and lack the resources and support necessary to be truly effective. In addition, there can be significant barriers to participation in these programs, such as lack of transportation, childcare responsibilities, and other commitments that make it difficult for adults to attend classes.
Despite these challenges, there are a number of efforts underway to increase adult literacy in India. For example, the Indian government has implemented a number of initiatives and programs aimed at increasing access to education for adults, including the National Literacy Mission and the Saakshar Bharat Mission. These programs provide funding and support for literacy classes, teacher training, and other efforts to increase adult literacy rates. In addition, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other civil society groups are working to increase adult literacy through initiatives such as adult education centers and literacy classes.
Ultimately, increasing adult literacy in India will require a multi-faceted approach that addresses the various factors that contribute to low literacy rates. This may include efforts to improve access to education, provide resources and support for literacy programs, and address the social and economic barriers that prevent adults from participating in these programs. By working together and investing in adult literacy, we can help to create a more educated and prosperous society for all.
Adult Education and Lifelong Learning in NEP 2020 of New National Education Policy for India
For example, many people who can read and write do not have access to education. TCS has adopted the NLMA approach and many of the NLMA primers into its courses, as these primers are widely tested, readily available, and highly usable. The coronavirus pandemic is an uneasy reminder of the gap between policy discourse and reality: a gap that already existed in the pre-COVID-19 era and negatively affects the learning of youth and adults, who have no or low literacy skills, and therefore, tend to face multiple disadvantages. The puppet theatre model and animated rural folk play teach the learners using a format and content they are familiar with. However, there is still work to be done in order to improve literacy rates throughout India.
Tata Consultancy Services’ Adult Literacy Programme: Computer
Jean Dreze and Amartya Sen New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 1997 , 33-108. The ALP course, which uses puppets as the motif in the teaching process, has been designed from material developed by the National Literacy Mission Authority, which was established by the Indian government in 1988 with the aim of eradicating adult illiteracy in the country. As far as Reach is concerned, as of June 2019 more than 950,000 individuals have completed the programme since 2000, with an emphasis on women, beneficiaries from Affirmative Action strata and inmates from prisons and correctional centres, as a reformation process. The programme runs on Tata's Computer-Based Functional Literacy software CBFL , which uses a combination of methods to teach a non-literate person to read in a short amount of time and makes use of commonly used words in the learner's mother tongue. MGR, as he was called, started the free lunch for school children scheme, ignoring cynics who said it was an electoral gimmick and economists who said it made little fiscal sense.
Adult Literacy in India
In addition, the choice of venue for conducting classes should be accessible to the learners, well ventilated, have an electric supply, a table for placing the computer, and adequate space for 15 to 20 people to sit comfortably. Himachal Pradesh's transition from mass illiteracy to near-universal elemensdddtary education has been even more impressive than Kerala's. Families with low income are unable to pay school fees and instead prefer that their children start working at a young age. Basic computer skills, navigation, browsing, and troubleshooting are also taught. The Adult Literacy Programme and Computer Based Functional Literacy software have also won several national and international awards. Starting on a modest scale of 2 lakh volunteers, it went up to 4.
International Literacy Day 2020: CSR for Adult Literacy
Kaliben lives with her husband, children and grandchildren. Specifically, this means that the focus of the programme has been on non-literate adults in the 15-35 age group, and women Sakshar Bharat, 2016. Programme Key Information Programme Title Tata Consultancy Services' Adult Literacy Programme Implementing Organization Tata Consultancy Services Limited Language of Instruction Nine Indian languages Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Marathi, Odia, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu , Arabic and two African languages Date of Inception 2000 Programme Partners Tata Group; NGOs; National Literacy Mission Authority; the prisons departments of the state governments of India. The PLCs provide a number of services including a library and reading room. It is a never-ending cycle that can only break by creating awareness around the importance of education. In all these situations, the issues were resolved by connecting with partners and through periodic review visits to CBFL centres.
