In A First, Kerala Govt Gears Up To Make Tribals Instructors Of Literacy Mission

Kerala government is all set to empower its tribal population with a new initiative. The government has decided to make a change in their lives through a new literacy programme. Rather than appointing outsiders as teachers, tribals with minimum qualifications would be selected as ‘instructors’ after receiving expert training. This initiative is first of its kind in the state.

Around 370 tribal instructors would be part of this programme, as reported by Mathrubhumi. The trained persons would play the roles of instructors under Kerala State Literacy mission and would impart knowledge to their fellow people.

The social literacy training programme would be held in Thiruvananthapuram this weekend. Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan would inaugurate the programme on March 24. 370 tribal instructors including those handpicked from 100 most educationally backward communities would be given training. The selected instructors would take part in group discussions on 17 topics including higher education, law, health, gender equality, cinema, secularism, employment, food, democracy, and so on.

“Our comprehensive literacy programme is aimed at bringing the tribal population to the forefront of society,” Kerala Literacy Mission director P S Sreekala said. “It is for the first time that educated tribes are identified and invited to take part in such an initiative in the state. It is a reformative step. They will get a big exposure in all these topics and a chance to attend classes of experts. It will change not only the participant’s life, but make a big impact in those of their fellow beings,” she added.

100 hamlets were selected to implement the programme, of which 25 were selected from Palakkad and Wayanad districts, 14 from Idukki and the rest from other districts.

Kerala State Literacy Mission

The Kerala State Literacy Mission Authority (KSLMA) was set up in 1998 as an autonomous institution under the General Education Department, Government of Kerala. It was set up for the coordination and activation of the literacy and continuing education. It is completely funded by the state government. The District Literacy Missions are monitoring the activities at the district level.

As per the report of the 12th Five Year Plan approved by the State Planning Board, Government of Kerala, the state is estimated to have 18 lakh illiterates. Most of them found living in slums, coastal areas and tribal settlements.