Kerala State Literacy Mission (KSLM) http://www.literacymissionkerala.org The State Literacy Mission is the official agency for implementing literacy and continuing education programmes in Kerala. It is an autonomous institution supported by the National Literacy Mission, Government of India and the State Government. With the motto of education for all and for ever, KSLM imparts non-formal, life oriented education to the neo literates.A Learning Society where all agencies of the society are educational providers and not just those whose primary responsibility is education and where all citizens are engaged in learning taking full advantage of opportunities provided by the Continuing Education Programme. In 1979 Govt. of India sanctioned 40 literacy Centres (20 in each district) in two districts as per a Project submitted by KGS. Grandhasala Sangham won the prestigious ‘Krupsakaya Award’ from UNESCO in 1975 as an endorsement of its good work. Shri.P.N.Panicker, who later founded KANFED acted as a catalyst in bringing a number of voluntary agencies to the field of non-formal and adult education. Rural Functional Literacy Programme (RFLP) was started just in five districts during 1982-83 and was later extended to eleven districts. National Service Schemes in Kerala and Calicut Universities incorporated Adult Education and Extension Education as part of their work which helped the movement in a big way. Objectives Retention of literacy skills and provision of opportunities to the neo-literates to take their learning beyond basic literacy. Create scope for application of functional literacy for improvement of living conditions and quality of life. Dissemination of information on development programmes to enhance the participation of traditionally deprived sections of the society. Creation of awareness about national concerns such as national integration, conservation and improvement of the environment, women’s equality, observance of small family norms etc. and sharing of common problems of the community. Improvement of economic conditions and general well being as well as improvement of productivity by organising short-duration programmes, orientation courses for providing vocational skills and by taking up linkage activities for establishing direct linkage between continuing education and development activities. Provision of facilities for library and reading rooms for creating an environment conductive for literacy efforts and a learning society. Ensuring the sustainability of the Kerala Model. Programmes KSLM works through a series of programmes like Equivalency Programme, Income Generating Programmes (IGPs), Quality of Life Improvement Programme (QLIP), Individual Interest Promotion Programme(IIPP) etc. KSLM results with Literacy Classes which are exclusively conducted for illiterates and its other beneficiaries are neo-literates/ semi-literates. Literacy classes are organised by Assistant Preraks. Equivalency Programme has been designed by KSLM inorder to help the neo-literates to qualify themselves at par with those who finish formal education. The programme helps the neo-literates irrespective of their age to appear for levels 1,2 and 3 which are equivalent to STD 4, 7 & 10 of the formal stream. Special Training has been imparted for this in all the 14 districts with the help of local bodies. KSLM issues certificates to those who successfully complete these courses and these are deemed to be equivalent to the respective levels in formal education.Application and Prospectus for Admission to the X Std. 'A' Level Equivalency Certificate Course can be downloaded from the KSLM website. In addition to the regular
programmes, all the 14 districts have prepared
three projects each on various subjects as
Integrated job training programme
for Women(Thiruvananthapuram);
District Production
& Sales Centre (Kollam );
Training on Umbrella making to high-school
students (Pathanamthitta );
Socio-tourism scope
though CECs ( Alappuzha );
‘Aksharavriksham
oru laksham’ -Planting one lakh seedings
(Kottayam );
Community development
through Tourism (Idukki );
Handicrafts using bamboo
(Ernakulam );
Fifty job units (Thrissur );
Total Computer Literacy
(Palakkad );
Integrated Psycho social
Treatment for deaddiction (Malappuram );
Tribal Literacy (Kozhikode );
Production and Distribution
of Handicrafts (Wayanad );
Anti—Plastic campaign
(Kannur )
and Formation of self Help
Groups (Kasaragod ).
Key Resource Persons
(KRPs) of the mission consists of former Saksharatha
activists or retired teachers, social activists
of the locality a supporting factor for the
venture. Their distribution follows the pattern
of one in every Panchayath, two in every Block,
two in every Municipality and three in every
Corporation. Among 140 Key Resource Persons
belonging to 14 districts, half are nominated
by the District Saksharatha Samithies and
the other half by the State Literacy Mission.
There are also 1414 Resource Persons. Training Centres The Continuing Education Project in Kerala is implemented through Local Bodies and NGOs. A network of voluntary workers and other activists are oriented towards the objectives of Continuing Education Programme. Several organisations both Governmental and Non-governmental are included in the project for resource mobilisation and training. Various level training were conducted for different groups involved in Continuing Education with the support SRC,SCERT, DIET, Govt Departments, Universities, NGOs, Population Cell, CDC etc. Also there is a permanent State Level Training Centre in Thiruvananthapuram. |