Dist gears up to improve state of adult education

22 June 2012

 biswabrata goswami 
TAMLUK, 22 JUNE: Even as the East Midnapore district holds the top position in literacy rate among all districts, in adult education it continues to lag behind the others.
In view to encourage adult education among drop-outs and under-privileged students in the backward areas of the district, the administration has planned to open adult high schools in its 25 blocks. To make the initiative fruitful, the district administration is all set to recruit six teachers, one head-master and one peon for each such school, said Mr Mamud Hossain, saha-sabhadhipati of the zilla-parishad. 
Mr Hossain said that the move has been initiated after it was found that only 31 per cent youth acquainted with adult education programmes have comprehensive knowledge about HIV transmission and its prevention while an equal proportion of teachers need to improve their awareness on these issues.
The drive for increasing literacy had received a jolt as Continuing Education Centres (CEC) had remained non-operational due to the political turmoil in the district since 2007.
In Nandigram all centres of continuing and nodal continuing education centres remained closed for long.
According to reports from the district literacy mission, the district has 2,608 CECs and 298 nodal CECs for the neo-literate and drop-out learners. Most of these centres were non-operational till the last Assembly polls.
As a result, the district which was once ranked at number one in terms of the rural literacy is now lagged behind other districts with 80.44 per cent literacy rate in 2008.
Mr Hossain said the district has received Rs 470 crore from Sarbasiksha Abhijan and 199 upper primary schools have already been opened. Two High Madrasha Schools and more 71 upper primary schools will be opened in the district soon, he said.
While briefing about the importance of opening new adult high schools in the district, a senior administrative officer said that only 31 per cent students from schools with adult education programmes and 20 per cent non-AEP had comprehensive knowledge about HIV and AIDS.
Nearly 30 per cent of the teachers in these schools lack comprehensive knowledge of HIV transmission and pregnancy-related issues. “Knowledge on methods that can prevent both HIV transmission and pregnancy (male and female condoms) is low among students. They need to learn the importance of consent driven voluntary HIV testing protocol, right to confidentiality and related issues,” the officer said.