LEH: Despite claiming to have covered a wide population of illiterate adults under New India Literacy Program (NILP) aiming at increasing adult literacy rate in the union territory, the Ladakh administration is more yet to do and go a far way for achieving cent percent adult literacy.
As only 25 percent of the total 40,000 illiterate population identified by the School Education Department (SED) has been brought under the banner that have participated in the Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Assessment Test held in the UT recently.
Over 40,000 illiterate population was recorded in the Survey conducted under the scheme by SED. In this regard, 417 voluntary teachers and 54 teachers have been engaged and the translation of four Primers and teacher guidelines have been completed with 632 functional literacy centres across the UT.
Around 10,000 Adult Learners in the UT participated in the Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Assessment Test at 369 Literacy Centres in both Leh and Kargil districts. 496 VTs and 369 teachers were engaged for supervisory staff during the test.
The Assessment Test was conducted as per the guidelines of the Ministry of Education, Question- Cum-Answer Booklet (QAB) translated into local languages were issued to the adult learners for the attempt and collected for evaluation at the Zonal level.
New India Literacy Program (NILP) is a new Central Sponsored Scheme on Education for All that is in alignment with the recommendation of the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020.
With regard to New India Literacy Programme (NILP) a new initiative by Ministry of Education to impart functional literacy and numeracy, basic education and critical life skills to adult illiterates with a special focus on women to achieve 100% literacy in the country, during 2021-2022, only 10,000 adult learners in Ladakh have been covered and assessment by NIOS have been carried out.
It implied that out of a total forty thousand adult illiterate people, only 10,000 (25 percent) have been covered and the rest 75 percent (30,000 identified) are yet to be covered under NILP.
Adult education programs in Ladakh should aim to provide basic education and functional literacy skills to adults who have missed out on a formal education and there is a lot more yet to do for the UT government for achieving cent percent adult literacy rate, said a college student and added that, the government and non-governmental organizations must work towards improving adult literacy rates through various initiatives and programs.
“These programs should also offer vocational training opportunities to help adults acquire the necessary skills to earn a livelihood,” Hassan Ali from Kargil told The Earth News, adding that besides education adults literacy must involve skill development.
Adult Literacy in Ladakh is an essential area of focus as the region has a significant literacy gap. According to the 2011 Census, the literacy rate in Ladakh was 62.45%, with females having a lower literacy rate than males. Adult education programs in Ladakh aim to provide basic education and functional literacy skills to adults who have missed out on a formal education.
Pertinent to mention here that the twin Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) in Leh and Kargil have taken several steps to promote adult education in the region. The council has established literacy centers in remote areas and provided incentives to teachers to work in these areas. These centers offer basic education and functional literacy skills such as reading, writing, and arithmetic. Hill councils also provide vocational training programs to provide job opportunities for adults.
Several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are also working to improve adult literacy rates in Ladakh. The Ladakh Ecological Development Group (LEDeG) established the Ladakh Alternative Education Program (LAEP) to provide education to adults who are unable to attend formal schools. The program has been focusing on providing education in the local language and culture, along with vocational training.
The LAEP offers a flexible curriculum that is designed to meet the specific needs of adult learners. The program offers courses in basic literacy, numeracy, life skills, health, and hygiene. It also offers vocational training courses in areas such as agriculture, handicrafts, and tourism. The program is delivered through a network of learning centers across Ladakh.
In addition to the LAEP, the LEDeG also runs the Women’s Alliance for Ladakh (WAL) program, which focuses on empowering women through education and vocational training. The program offers courses in basic literacy, health, hygiene, and entrepreneurship. It also provides vocational training in areas such as weaving, tailoring, and food processing.
