HOW TO REMOVE MASS ILLITERACY

Illiteracy of the general mass is one of the major ills from which our country suffers in common with other backward countries. It has been recognized as the birth right of every individual in a free sate. Mass ignorance defeats all attempts of progress and darkens the future of the nation. The sooner illiteracy is removed the better it will be for the individual and the community at large.

The schools we have at present are for children whose age ranges from 6 to 16. The syllabuses and the curriculum followed in these institutes are cast into a certain pattern and designed to prepare boys and girls for higher academic education in of whom are grown up men and women. Therefore, a new set of schools have to be introduced for giving education to these people. These may be called schools for adults. 

We have to keep within view certain facts regarding these education centers. Our population being very large, the number of these schools will have to be proportionately considerable-at least one in each locality of three or four villages. The adult education canters cannot aspire to have grand schools buildings. These schools will aim at imparting some elementary enlightenment along with a little better knowledge of the vocation the learners pursue. As most adults are busy earning their bread in the daytime, it will be convenient for them to attend schools if classes taken at night.

In this country only a small minority of the children get the opportunity of attending schools regularly. Number of schools in the village’s fall of what it should be. The existing schools are in such a deplorable condition that they beggar description. So a staggering number of school-going children stand in need of some facilities for rudimentary education. To that end compulsory and free primary schools should be started to accommodate these neglected future citizens of the country.

Mass literacy should never be confined to the three R`s. It must also aim at making the learners useful and capable of applying the new acquisition to the earning of their bread. Efforts should, therefore, be so planned and equipped as to be able to impart a large variety of vocational trainings. Thousands of our illiterate people are unemployed because they have neither any land to cultivate nor any finished knowledge of the arts and crafts. If such people can be taught various handicrafts, such as weaving, carpentry pottery, smother, caning as also trained in the handling of small machinery, their unemployment problem will be considerably solved. Over and above, mass education centers should take special care to impart knowledge of scientific agriculture, of health and sanitation and also give the learners some sort of civic training so as to make them fit for good citizenship.

To make the programmer of mass literacy successful, it is, therefore, essential to keep in view the question of removing the current appalling poverty of the masses.      

       

ILLITERACY

Illiteracy means inability to read and write. Illiteracy is a cure because it is illiteracy that lowers down human being to the level of beast. Illiteracy is compared to darkness because it darkens individual s vision, outlook, behavior and in a word, all aspects of life. It is the root cause of ignorance, superstition, backwardness, poverty and many more.

Poverty is the main cause of illiteracy and vice versa. Similarly, underdevelopment causes illiteracy is the cause of underdevelopment. The are other causes too. Over population, financial and resource constraints, people s superstition and negative attitude about education, lack of awareness etc, are responsible for illiteracy.

Illiteracy generates hundreds of problems. Because of illiteracy people do not know how to earn well and how to spend well. As a result they can not come out of their poverty trap. Many do not have knowledge about food and nutrition. So they suffer from various kinds of diseases. In a word illiteracy is the cause of poor socio economic condition, high mortality rate, low life expectancy, child labor and child marriage and high rate of population.

Illiteracy frustrates all developmental programmers of the government. Again in order to improve the poor condition of the illiteracy people, govt. has to spend a huge some of money on different programmers. This affects other sectors and hinders long term development of the country.

Population of a country is termed as its human resources. The educated and skilled manpower of a county is its great asset. But if the people are illiteracy, they become a great burden for the country. Illiterate people cannot contribute much to the social and economic development of the country.     

As illiteracy is the root cause of all evils. It should be the number one agenda of govt. Though govt. has taken various measures like making primary education free and compulsory, girl’s education up to higher secondary level free and the highest allocation for education in our national budget, still the measures are inadequate. Govt. must ensure that the money is being utilized properly and effectively. Govt. need to set up more educational institutions, make reading materials cheap and available, and grantee employment after completing education. Again private sectors, NCOs academician and patrons of learning should come forward to spread the light of education in every house. We have also to make our people aware of the importance of education. Medic can play a great role in this regard.

Reducing of poverty is the most effective way of removing illiteracy from society. So govt. must work in co-ordination with others to fight poverty and increase literacy rate.

The present illiteracy rate is still high in our country. That is why we are lagging behind in all respects then many other nations. If we want to build a happy and prosperous nation, if we want to stand in honor and dignity among the nations of the world, and if we want to develop our living condition, we must remove illiteracy from the country.