‘Worrisome’ figure of 256.6 million illiterates mandated national intervention
By Farooq Shah
SRINAGAR- Underlining the importance of the New India Literacy Program (NILP) for adult education, Principal Secretary, School Education Department, J&K, Alok Kumar (IRS), said that the worrisome figure of 256.6 million for the number of illiterates in the age range of 15 and older revealed in the 2011 census called for a national intervention.
Kumar, who also serves as the Director, State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), stated this against the backdrop of the five-day workshop on resource creation for adult education, jointly organised by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), New Delhi, and the SCERT. The workshop concluded at the SCERT auditorium at Bemina on Friday.
“The program’s objective is to impart basic literacy skills to this huge number while also covering other essential elements for the 21st century citizens,” Kumar said. “Provision of online modules spanning the whole range of adult education will surely increase resource accessibility.”
The NCERT team, comprising Senior Consultant Dr. Bani Bora and Consultant Dr. Yasmin Ashraf, oversaw the work of about 20 subject experts from both SCERTs—Kashmir and Jammu—over the course of five days as they developed the NILP material in the languages of Kashmiri and Dogri.
Six groups of subject experts each developed a primer and a module for Hindi, Kashmiri, and Dogri. Later, they examined the content before putting it in the final form. It will be published as a book and also made available on the Diksha portal after it has been approved.
At the closing ceremony, Dr. Bora expressed her gratitude for the supportive atmosphere the SCERT had created over the course of the five days. She wished for an early implementation of the programme in the J&K UT, while mentioning the names of everyone who had helped organise the workshop, whether directly or indirectly.
The participants were given certificates at the end of the valedictory ceremony.
The five-year initiative, beginning this year, was approved by the Indian government to address all facets of adult education in accordance with the National Education Policy 2020, aka NEP 2020, and the Budget Announcements 2021–2022.
“The scheme will be implemented through volunteerism through online mode,” Dr Yasmin said. “All material and resources shall be provided digitally for easy access to registered volunteers through easily accessible digital modes.”
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