The city Corporation is all set to begin a movement on the lines of the literacy movement of the 1990s, reaching out to the remaining unlettered in its 100 wards.
With the support of the State Literacy Mission Authority, it will launch the movement across all the wards on July 12. Mayor V.K. Prasanth and Literacy Mission Director P.S. Sreekala addressed a press conference here on Monday to announce the programme. Education Minister C. Ravindranath will inaugurate the Corporation-level events of Aksharashree at the Asan square on July 12 at 6.30 p.m. On the evening of July 13, people’s representatives will lead the lighting of ‘Aksharadeepam’ lamp at houses across all wards.
A survey as part of the ‘Aksharashree’ Saksharatha–continuing education programme will begin at 8.30 a.m. on that day. More than 10,000 volunteers will be part of the survey, including members of the National Service Scheme (NSS) at schools and colleges and students of the Literacy Mission’s equivalency programmes. The aim is to bring together formal and informal education for the literacy movement. The survey will be carried out by dividing the total number of houses in each ward into clusters, with each cluster having 50 houses. Those identified as illiterate through the survey will be provided classes at the ward-level, beginning August 15.
Those who pass an examination to be held after three months of classes could join the Class 4 equivalency course of six months duration. Followed by this, they will get an opportunity to study higher secondary equivalency free of charge.
As part of the next batch of Aksharashree equivalency courses, 1,500 people will be trained under the Class 10 equivalency course and 1,000 under the higher secondary equivalency course.