The Kerala State Literacy Mission Authority (KSLMA) is preparing to launch the second phase special literacy programme for the tribes in Wayanad.
The government has earmarked ₹50 lakh for the project, which envisages to make nearly 18,000 tribespeople in 4,000 hamlets literate, P.S. Sreekala, Director of KSLMA, said.
The project envisages tribal women empowerment and job-oriented training programmes. It also will aim at ushering in neo-literates into equivalency courses, Dr. Sreekala added.
In 282 settlements
The organisation launched the special project in 282 tribal settlements, especially in the settlements of particularly vulnerable tribal group of Kattunayakka, in the district a few months ago. The project was deemed a huge success.
As many as 4,512 neo-literates enrolled for the preliminary examination, of which 4,309 passed the examination. “This inspired us to launch the second phase of project,” she said. The second phase would be launched in 200 hamlets by the first week of December, she added.
Recently, the mission held a survey to identify illiterates in 4,371 tribal houses in 26 administrative bodies, including three municipalities, in the district as part of the second phase of the project.
Of the 16,799 tribal people surveyed in 200 hamlets, 5,342, including 3,383 women, were found to be illiterate.
Dr. Sreekala submitted the survey report and the mission’s recommendations to Education Minister C. Ravindranath on Wednesday.
The major recommendations of the mission include the expansion of the programme with assistance of Tribal Development Department to all tribal hamlets to eradicate illiteracy and incorporating the project in the annual Plan of local administrative bodies to make the project a people’s programme.
Launching of social literacy programmes in health, law, environment, and gender equality by utilising digital technology, awareness programmes among tribal people on the significance of education, launching skill acquisition programmes, and scholarships for those enrolling for higher secondary equivalency examination are the other recommendations.
