As part of the Learning Enhancement Programme of Sarva Siksha Abiyan (SSA), as many as 1,48,620 students belonging to SC, ST and girl students in government middle schools in the State will get English-English-Tamil dictionaries, said Dr. S. Kannappan, Joint Director, SSA, Education Department.
Dr. Kannappan told The Hindu on Friday that the scheme was introduced in 37 blocks in 14 districts where literacy rate among girls was found to be very low during the last academic year. The dictionary brought out by Tamil Nadu Text Book Society, priced at Rs.150, would be distributed to bright SC, ST students and girl students belonging to all communities who could not afford to buy it.
The chairperson of the dictionary project is Mr. S. Gomathinathan, Special Office ELT/Reader (Retired), Directorate of Teacher Education Research and Training, Chennai. The dictionary has 11,000 words with definitions in English and Tamil, synonyms and antonyms, information about word class and derivations, usage, phrases, 600 proverbs and an appendix.
Copies of the 700-page dictionary have already been delivered to all 30 educational districts in the State for distribution to the students. According to the SSA, each district was allotted 4,954 dictionaries.
The dictionaries would be distributed to students of Standard VI this year. The students eligible for the scheme would be identified by the heads of the institutions based on their academic performance and economic status, Dr. Kannappan said. .
As many as 37,000 dictionaries were distributed to SC, ST students and girl students of Standard VI in 37 blocks in 14 districts, which were identified under National Programme for Education of Girls at Elementary Level (NPEGEL) as districts having low literacy among girl children. Fifty Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBV) run under SSA in the district exclusively for dropout girl children are included in it. The districts and blocks (in brackets) where the scheme was introduced last year are: Salem (Edapadi, Kadayampatti, Kolathur, Konganapuram, M. Chavadi, Yercaud, Nangavalli, Panamarathupatti, Sankari, Veerapandi), Villupuram (Kallakurichi, Rishivandiyam, Thirukkovilur, Thirunavlur, Thiruvennainallur, Thiyadurgam, Ulundurpet), Cuddalore (Mangalore, Nallur, Panruti), Perambalur (Ariyalur, Senthurai, T. Palur, Veppur), Sivagangai (S. Pudur), Namakkal (Kolli Hills, Mallasamudram), Dharmapuri (Pennagaram, Karimangalam, Palacode), Dindigul (Gujiliamapari, Natham), Erode (Ammapet, Andhiyur, Kundadam, Mulanur, Nambiyur, C.N. Palayam, Vallakkoil), Karur (Kadavur), Krishnagiri (Veppanapaplli, Shoolagiri, Kelamangalam), Tiruchi (Marungapuri), Tiruvannamalai (Thandrampattu, Javvadu Hills) and Virudhunagar (Narikudi).
