Coastal literacy project to be rolled out in 3 more districts in Kerala

Buoyed by its success in the first phase, the Kerala State Literacy Mission Authority (KSLMA) is all set to kick-start the second phase of Akshara Sagaram, an ambitious literacy programme for coastal areas, by rolling it out in three more districts, including Ernakulam.

The project, being implemented by KSLMA with financial assistance from the Fisheries Department, will also be implemented in Kollam and Kozhikode districts. Initially, it was implemented in Thiruvananthapuram, Malappuram and Kasaragod districts.

In the second phase, the project will be rolled out in 234 wards with poor levels of literacy, spread across 36 local bodies in three districts.

The project will be run within 15 local body limits in Ernakulam namely, Pallippuram, Kuzhuppilly, Kumbalanghi, Kumbalam, Chellanam, Kadamakkudy, Elankkunnapuzha, Kochi Corporation, Edavanakkad, Nayarambalam, Njarakkal, Kottuvalli, Varapuzha, Mulavukad, and Udayamperoor.

Selection of instructors, gathering of data about potential beneficiaries, and formation of ward-level organising committees have been completed as a prelude to the implementation of the project.
The primary objective of the project is to streamline the fourth, seventh and tenth standard equivalent programmes of KSLMA in coastal areas.

Illiterate people, newly literate, school dropouts, physically and mentally-challenged people, and all fisherfolks who have not cleared fourth standard have been identified as potential beneficiaries.
KSLMA formulated the project targeting coastal population based on the finding of the State Planning Board that among the 18 lakh illiterate people in the State and 12 lakh newly literate people, literacy levels are the lowest in coastal areas.

In the first phase, 65 wards spread over 13 coastal panchayats were covered under the project, and 1,605 candidates wrote the fourth standard equivalent examination.
The project will be implemented with the support of local bodies, Fisheries Department, and Matsyafed.

The literacy mission authority hopes that apart from improving literacy levels, the project will give impetus to continuous education programmes in coastal areas.

Improving the living standards of coastal people and coastal area protection measures, women empowerment, elimination of drug abuse, creating awareness about environment, sanitation, cleanliness, health, and various welfare programmes and services provided by the State government have been identified as the other immediate benefits of the project.