Illiteracy EduAware

Illiteracy Everywhere

Literacy, as defined in Census operations, is the ability to read and write with understanding in any language. A person who can merely read but cannot write is not classified as literate. Any formal education or minimum educational standard is not necessary to be considered literate. Adopting these definitions, the literacy level of the country as a whole was only 29.45 per cent with male literacy at 39.45 per cent and female literacy at 18.69 per cent. As per the latest Census estimates (2001), the All-India figure has gone up to 65.38 per cent; About three-fourths of our menfolk (75.85 %) are literate whereas over half of our womenfolk (54.16 %) are also literate.

The problems of illiteracy are not confined to India, but are also in developed countries too. Daedalus, the journal of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, devoted the Spring 1990 issue to study the problem of Literacy in America. The Journal quotes Joseph Murphy, Chancellor, City University of New York who stated: "There are as many as 60 million illiterate and semi-literate adults in America today, because poverty and illiteracy go hand in hand."

A leading German magazine 'Stern' point out that even in the United Kingdom, "One out of five adults in the land of William Shakespeare and Harry Potter is practically illiterate or has problems counting money in the purse." According to Daniel A. Wagner, Director, Literacy Research Center at the University of Pennsylvania, over one billion individuals worldwide, nearly 25% of today's youth and adults, can't read. Even fewer comprehend numeracy and far fewer have access to electronic superhighway. "Achieving a literate society in which adults can fully participate in the workplace, community, and family will be a major challenge for the world in the coming millennium".

Illiteracy is one of the major problems faced by the developing world, specially Africa and South-East Asia and has been identified as the major cause of socio-economic and ethnic conflicts that frequently surface in the region. With the limited definition of 'literacy' being adopted for enumeration purposes, there has been concern on the content of a Mass Literacy program. As per the definition stated in constitution, 99.9% are literate in Kerela, and everyone knows to read and write in Kerela. This is the census data. But as per a recent annual survey, ASER conducted by Pratham NGO 1.1% in Rural Kerala can't read anything in their own language, 4.9% can't read anything in English, 30% cannot even recognize numbers up to 99. The ASER states much clear picture of education status of India. Even in Kerala there are many students who cannot Read and Write, can't do easy calculations.

There is a need for a core curriculum to bring nearly all pupils above a certain threshold of learning, for thereafter all subsequent learning is made easier. But then, there is also the concern for democratization of primary education. As a UNESCO publication puts it: "A primary school that fails to achieve certain minimum and useful objectives, that fails to meet the people's needs, which fails to interest either the children or their parents, will inevitably end up by losing in one way or the other".