Zilla Panchayat P I Srividya said learning to read and write is not enough, one must be able to sensibly address to the country’s problems.
She was speaking at World Literacy Day programme organised by the Directorate of Mass Education, Zilla Panchayat, District Literacy Committee and other organisations at Pilikula Regional Science Centre here.
She said even educated people have been littering waste on roadsides and felt a need to create awareness on cleanliness.
Commending the work done by neoliterates, she said the neoliterates are working towards creating awareness on water conservation.
Directorate of Mass Education Literacy Officer Sudhakar K delivered the keynote address and said this year’s slogan for World Literacy Day is ‘Read the Past; Read the Future’.
Zilla Panchayat Vice President Kasturi Panja said every human being should be educated to know oneself and handle various responsibilities. But, along with school education, education on water conservation is also needed. The lack of formal education does not mean one cannot educate others. “We have the examples of Harekala Hajabba and Salumarada Thimmakka who have been working towards the progress of the community.
The main purpose of education should be to ward off fear,” he added.
Convener of Sneha School, Sullia, Chandrashekhar Damle lamented that school education is confined to bookish knowledge and does not prepare the children to serve the community at large.
Zilla Panchayat member U P Ibrahim called upon the neoliterates to ban illicit drugs in villages.
Representatives of Naringana and Manila gram panchayats, Yuva Vedike, Peraje, convener of Sneha School Chandrashekhar Damle, journalist Surendra Vagle, Govinda Bhat Manimule, Suribail School teacher Aboobakar, agriculturist Venkatakrishna Sharma, Kallapu School headmaster Ramesh B Bayar, teacher Santhosh Kumar, Satyasai Kendra, Alike, headmaster Raghu, teacher Radhakrishna Koyyur and literacy motivators were felicitated on the occasion, for their contribution in the fields of rain water harvesting and adult literacy.
Moodushedde Gram Panchayat president Hariprasad Shetty, Pilikula Dr Shivaram Karanath Biological Park executive director Jayaprakash Bhandary and Jana Shikshana Trust president Sheena Shetty were present on the occasion.