The state, which covered its literacy campaign laps faster than others, may have lost the edge, but special projects targeting communities with higher number of illiterates can help it reach the goal.
“A project like ‘Akshara Laksham would help the state to achieve the 100 per cent mark within three years,” says Education Minister P K Abdu Rabb.
Blaming the lackadaisical attitude that crept in after the declaration of total literacy in 1991, Rabb said the absence of follow-up programme has caused a relapse to illiteracy.
“The difficulties in reaching out our literacy programmes to the coastal and tribal belt are pulling us back. The state needs special programmes to target these groups to achieve the goals,” says Rasheed, Malappuram District Coordinator of Literacy Mission. Kerala has recorded a literacy growth rate of 3.05 percentage from the period between 2001 to 2011. The growth of Tripura during the period was 14.56 per cent. (Concluded