VIZIANAGARAM: ‘Chitti Guruvulu’, an innovative programme launched in Vizianagaram district, has been yielding good results in enabling functional literacy of non-literate adults. At least 21,204 people aged above 15 in the district have become literate under the adult literacy programme in which students are teaching adults to learn to read and write.
Now, the district administration has started groundwork to begin the second phase of Chitti Guruvulu from June 15 to make Vizianagaram a 100 percent literate district like Ernakulam of Kerala. Chitti Guruvulu was implemented in Dwarapudi village in Vizianagaram district as a pilot project in 2017. At least 61 students taught 280 non-literate elders. With this, Dwarappudi village has become the first village with 100% literacy rate in the entire State.
The programme received national attention after Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded it in his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ address. Besides achieving total literacy, Dwarapudi has become an open defecation-free village and the first digitally literate panchayat with cashless transactions.
After the immense success of Chitti Guruvulu in Dwarapudi, the district administration has extended the programme to the entire district and 21,204 people aged over 15 have become literate by February 2019.
In the second phase, the district administration is planning to utilise the services of Grama/Ward Secretariat staff, volunteers, Anganwadi workers, DRDA and MEPMA staff and MGNREGS workers to monitor the programme.
Speaking to TNIE, K Sugunakara Rao, deputy director of adult education, said, “All arrangements are in place for the launch of the second phase of Chitti Guruvulu. Teaching-learning materials are ready. We have completed a survey to find non-literates in the district. We have collected the details of the non-literates along with their Aadhaar and phone numbers to avoid duplication. School students of 6th, 7th and 8th standard will teach their illiterate parents and neighbours. We are utilising the services of teachers, Grama/Ward Secretariat staff, Volunteers, Anganwadi workers, DRDA staff, MEPMA staff and MGNREGS workers to monitor the programme.”
“We are planning to launch the programme this month and end by October, with basic literacy assessment under the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS). Though the district did not have sufficient funds to continue the programme, district collector A Suryakumari has been taking forward the programme with an aim to make Vizianagaram a 100 percent literate district,” he added.
District Collector A Suryakumari said, “Education plays a crucial role in every person’s day-to-day life. The low literacy level would reflect the health, sanitation and livelihood status of the person, which are very crucial in the overall development of the district. Therefore, we are working with an aim to get 100 percent literacy in the district. I am happy to see that children become teachers and impart education to their parents and neighbours under the programme.”