Literacy, the
recent stats says that if the current situation continues by 2020 India will
have about 50% of illiterate. What exactly is literacy, is that sitting in
front of computer and writing C programs, or creating automobiles or thinking how
to forge people online. Literacy according to the UNESCO “is ability to
identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate, compute and use printed
and written materials associated with varying contexts. Literacy involves a
continuum of learning in enabling individuals to achieve their goals, to
develop their knowledge and potential, and to participate fully in their
community and wider society.” Though its almost 2 years that Right to Free
and Compulsory Education act was passed and Right to Education is now a
fundamental right. How many of us know that there is something called Right to
Education Act, or if we know such a thing exist do we know what it is? Even if
we know, how many pass this or make other aware and put in use. How many
of us know 8th September is International Literacy Day.
Knowing
something for the sake of knowing and keeping it with yourself is equivalent to
not knowing it. Right to Education Act, came into action by April 1, 2010, in
India each and everything as a opposition for the sake of opposing. Though this
RTE was made a fundamental right, there are many opposition to this. Below
attached image is the comparison graph between the year 2001 and 2011 state
wise.
Image
Courtesy: Wiki
Some of the
bottlenecks in the implementation and for low literacy are below :
- The willingness of parents to send their children to schools, though there are population who come to school for the free noon-meal.
- The private schools are not willing to follow the 25% reservation which was mentioned in the RTE.
- Though the act mentions that those orphans child can join schools without the documents, some schools ask them to submit income certificate, Community certificate.( Through my mentor I came to know these community certificate were not submitted by them during their days in 1960s and 1970s)
- The infrastructure and lack of teachers are the main reason for the low literacy rates.
India as
of 2011 Census, its only 74%, where china is 95.9% in Adult Literacy rates.
This comparison is not mentioned here that we should overtake or catch the rate
of China. Whether we overtook them is not our concern, how are we going to make
every Indian a literate.
Government has
to do, else we must make them to do, for the last case at least we should do
what we can
- If we pay the Income tax properly, government will have income. If you feel, its not worth giving money, adopt a child and take of his education. You would also get Tax Exemption and the money has been put in use properly.
- Citizens or students who get their loans from bank, should repay the loan correctly not waiting for the government to clear the loan amount.
- Giving back something to society where we born is not wrong. Only our society or people around us are happy we can be happy.
Government has
extended some of supports like Education Loans to continue the higher studies
because there are too many drop outs who cannot continue their higher because
of plethora of reasons. Bank and Financial institutions should come forward for
giving the loans to the students.
Stats : Wiki
Please do help
for education. Education is the best gift you can give to someone ,more than
money, food and anything and everything.
In Kanavu,
we are coming up with a new project “Kanavai Nenaivakuvom” if you are interested in adopt a child or part of adopting a
child and support them for their education. Please let me know.
Details soon in
the site : http://kanavu-india.org
