A total of 297 migrant workers attended the ‘Mikavulsavam’ held in the district as part of Changathi, the Malayalam literacy programme launched by the Kerala State Literacy Mission Authority (KSLMA).
The exam for the second Changathi batch was conducted in two sessions as many of the students were working on Sunday as well.
Romiya Khathoon, the only woman who attended the exam, scored full marks and bagged the first rank. A migrant from Bihar, she has been living in Umayanalloor for the past six years and attended the exam with her infant son.
“Most of the students are very happy about getting another chance to study and some have expressed interest in signing up for Class 4 equivalency exam,” says Sheeba L., a prerak of the literacy programme.
700 enrolled
The students were split into 20-member batches and instructors who were proficient in both Hindi and Malayalam were handling the classes. Though nearly 700 guest labourers enrolled for the classes, many of them were out of station on the day of exam.
“We focused on a particular region and classes were held at their colonies and camps to ensure maximum participation. They all attended the complete course, but some are currently visiting their families and could not take the exam,” she adds. Apart from making the labourers Malayalam literate, the programme helps to address many work-related issues and spreads awareness on a number of topics.
