Jammu and Kashmir Government is mulling to set the process rolling for the launch of its mission to attain 100% female literacy in the state by 2020- the target laid down in the Agenda of Alliance.“To achieve this crucial goal, the education department has to come up with a workable plan based on structural approach. This can be done by utilizing the services of top educationists and resource persons engaged in implementation of different education programmes” Education Minister Naeem Akthar asked senior functionaries here at a capacity building workshop of Saakshar Bharat Programme(SBP).
The 3-day capacity building workshop organized by the Directorate of Adult Education (DAE) MHRD witnessed participation of 38 officers associated with the Adult literacy programme being implemented in 20 districts of the state. Jammu and Samba Districts with distinction of having achieved average national literacy rate are not covered under the scheme. A high level expert team of MHRD led by Director DAE Rama Krishna will sensitize the delegates about the contours and scope of the SB programme.
The Minister said that the government would make sincere efforts to attain 100 percent female literacy by 2020 that forms one of the important goals laid down in the Agenda of Alliance.He said in this regard the state government would have to prepare an inclusive plan to cover illiterate females in all age groups.“We need to follow a structural approach and involve best minds available in state’s education system to come up with a comprehensive plan to be submitted to centre for funds” Naeem stressed. He said all districts of that state including Jammu and Samba will be covered under the female literacy progamme of the state.Appreciating the SBP model, he sought the assistance and guidance of DAE to help the state education department to prepare the plan for its female literacy mission. He invited the MHRD team to Srinagar to discuss and provide guidance to the state authorities in its endeavors to implement the female literacy mission. He said that there was an urgent need for a turnaround in the education system to bring state out of the darkness to light.Referring to the setback education system suffered in Jammu and Kashmir during past decades of disturbance, he called upon the educationists to take inspiration from the glorious past of the state recorded in the annals of its history.“J&K has given huge funds of knowledge to the world and been home to institutions of international fame, it hosted the first Buddhist international conference and has the distinction of having Kalhan’s chronicles spanning over 5000 years and what not” he said.He asked the education department and teachers to take forward their mission in this backdrop as only then the state can be steered out of the prevailing situation.
For effective implementation of the SBP in the state, the Minister also suggested to send delegates from J&K to study Chhattisgarh model where the programme has been a great success.Commissioner, Secretary School education Shaleen Kabra, said that after a comparatively slow beginning in initial years of launch, SBP has been fully implemented in the state.“I appreciate record participation in Learners Assessment Test held in March, but the real success would come only when all those who took the test qualify it” he said. He also mentioned about the administrative and financial procedures brought about to implement the programme in the state as per the MHRD guidelines.Directors of School education Kashmir and Jammu, State Coordinator BSP J&K Amit Kumar were also present.