The Department of Mass Education is all geared up to make 36 gram panchayats completely literate in Dakshina Kannada district.
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had declared in the Budget that 1,000 gram panchayats in the state will be made totally literate within two years.
In DK district, the 36 gram panchayats have been identified in Kadaba and Moodbidri taluks for the total literacy programme, Lokesh C, District Officer, Department of Mass Education told DH.
“All Cluster Resource Persons (CRP), Block Resource Persons (BRP), DIET principal, who is also DDPI (Development), and Department of School Education and Literacy are being involved in the literacy programme,” he said.
According to the 2011 census, 11 per cent of the population in the district do not know how to read and write.
‘’About 24,284 people are illiterate in the district. As per the report, there are 2,952 illiterates in Moodbidri, and 2,384 in Kadaba. The numbers may vary as many of them would have been migrant labourers,” he said and added that some elderly neo-literates also would have forgotten the alphabet.
Survey is being conducted with the help of teachers, anganwadi workers and CRPs to compile data on the exact number of illiterates, he added.
‘’We have asked teachers to collect information on those who do not know how to write and read from schoolchildren. The survey will be completed by the end of this month, Lokesh said.
“After the completion of the survey, the next step of teaching will begin.This time, the government has given permission to use classrooms in schools as learning centres in a village. At a convenient time between 11 am and 6 pm, those enrolled will be taught to read and write,” Lokesh said.
The learning process will not be limited to gaining knowledge about the alphabet. The basic education will also include simple calculations and life skills as well, he added.
The literacy programme will be conducted for six months and after the classes and lessons, examinations will be conducted, Lokesh added.
A circular by the Directorate of Mass Education states, “The aim is to increase the literacy rate and reduce the gap between literacy rate in urban and rural areas. The programme also aims to increase the standard of living through continuous learning and personality development.”