Structure of non-formal education to be changed

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: While all eyes and minds in the Education Department are focused on  the restructuring of schools as part of implementation of Right to Education (RTE), not much thought has been given to the corresponding changes in the non-formal education in the state.  The Kerala State Literacy Mission Authority (KSLMA), which spearheads the non-formal education sector in the state and which takes education to hundreds of adult-learners annually, is also gearing up for changes in its academic structure, thanks to RTE. In due course, just like the shift of class V to lower primary and class VIII to upper primary in regular schools, the Literacy Mission would have to shift its present fourth equivalency and seventh equivalency programmes to fifth and eighth equivalency programmes respectively.However, the department is yet to discuss more on the shift. “There will be changes naturally in accordance with the RTE. Most important change would be with regard to curriculum. But it is premature to talk about it now since the government is yet to bring out the order with regard to the restructuring.    The curriculum committee would then meet to discuss further plans,” said P Alassankutty, KSLMA director. According to sources, the curriculum updation cannot be a hasty affair even if there is time for restructuring. The curriculum committee has to meet and entrust an agency with the job. Till the printed textbooks get exhausted, the agency would have to supply them along with the new texts or lessons added. As of now, the mission is on a waiting mode. As in formal schooling, the restructuring would require dissemination of the changes to the grassroots-levels which means to the ‘vidyakendrams’ and to the literacy volunteers or the preraks. The Literacy Mission is also expecting the announcement of the new central project which gives onus to the equivalency programme. As of now, it is running on State Government’s money. However, with the new project the mission could expect money from the Centre to run its adult-learners’ programmes. The Centre has asked for details regarding the illiteracy pockets in the state from the mission.The coastal and adivasi belts identified by the mission have 20 lakh illiterates. The mission has already submitted a proposal regarding tribal literacy at the Centre and is presently working on coastal literacy to be submitted soon. With the restructuring, it hopes to emerge from an agency teaching illiterates and acquire a role in shaping the adult-learners to blend well with their society.