Nagaland’s literacy rate is high, dropout too — School Education Advisor

Our Correspondent
Kohima, April 8 (EMN): The literacy rate of Nagaland is one of the highest in the country but the dropout rate is also very high, said Advisor for School Education, KT Sukhalu on Thursday.

He was speaking at the flag off programme of State Literacy Mission Authority - Adult Education (Padhna Likhna Abhiyan) at the Directorate of School Education in Kohima.

Maintaining that there are many people in the state who still do not know how to read and write, Sukhalu expressed happiness over initiation of adult education scheme. He added that advancement in technology has allowed many government schemes and programmes that used to route through the departments and village authorities to engage directly with the beneficiaries, thus posing challenge to the illiterates.

He appealed to the teachers and volunteers who will engage in the adult education programme to be sincere, saying that they are responsible for the next generation. He also called upon the village councils, Gaon Buras (GBs), student unions and mothers’ association to get involved in the programme to ensure that no one is left out.

The advisor also said that the Government of India is really serious about education in the country. ‘When we are given the opportunity to reach out to our people who doesn't know how to read and write, it should we implemented well,’ he added.

Meanwhile, the special secretary to School Education, Kevileno Angami said that Padhna Likhna Abhiyan - Adult Education was launched in September last year by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for implementation across the country amidst the Covid-19 pandemic with an objective to meet the challenges of learning during the pandemic period and beyond.

She said the scheme is aimed at dealing with the challenges of illiteracy by imparting reading, learning and writing skills, and turn the illiterates to literates. She added that the programme will cover three districts - Mokochung, Tuensang and Kiphire – in the initial stage for four months.

The official also called for the support of the churches, NGOs, student bodies and others towards making the state a literate society.

Meanwhile, the principal director of School Education, Shanavas C, said that the state has better literacy rate than many other states. He also expressed hope that the programme will help the state improve its literacy rate even further and also make the learners aware of their rights and become well-informed citizens.

The director of School Education, Wonthungo Tsopoe, also informed that out of the three districts where the scheme will be implemented in the initial stage, Mokochung was identified owing to the 2011 census which indicated low literacy rate among women.

He went on to inform that many other districts will be eventually included in the scheme under the guidance of government of India.

Later, the advisor for School Education flagged off the vehicle that will transport learning materials to the beneficiary districts in the presence of school education department officials.