A survey, as part of Aksharasree project, to find the remaining illiterates in the capital and to get them into a continuing education programme, begins on Saturday.
The project, being taken by the State Literacy Mission and the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation will be carried out in all 100 wards, with the cooperation of 10,000 volunteers, including students and Literacy Mission’s pupils. The materials for the survey have been brought to all wards. The details collected in each ward will be sorted out on the survey day itself. Ward-level data will be compiled on July 15 by 100 Literacy Mission Preraks.
There are 2.5 lakh households in 100 wards. The survey is being conducted after segregating these houses as clusters of 50 houses. Ward-level organising committees chaired by councillors and including Kudumbasree workers, literacy activists, anganwadi teachers, health officials and residents’ association representatives will help the volunteers.
Literacy classes will begin on August 15. Classes are being planned for 2,500 persons with an estimated 25 persons in each ward. Those who pass the exam after three months’ lessons can join the Class IV equivalency course which will be of six months’ duration. Those who complete this can study for free till the HS equivalency course. In the next batch of Class X and HS equivalency courses, 1,500 persons will get a chance to study for the Class X course and 1,000 persons for the HS course under the project.
Literacy Mission intends to make use of the facilities in libraries and other public education institutions. Aksharasree project will be extended to other local self governing bodies.