TIRUCHY: Manikandam union is likely to be announced as 100 per cent literate owing to efforts of government teachers and staff, who taught the elderly to write at least their names, and in many cases, a lot more. Block education officer Marudhanayagam wrote to the Chief Education Officer on Tuesday with a list of names of over 4,400 elderly persons, who had learnt to write their names in Tamil.
“We started the initiative, inspired by Karpom Ezhudhuvom, the literacy programme. Through 20 centres, each training around 20 persons, nearly 400 in the block learnt to write and read a few words in Tamil. We extended this with the help of 300 teachers coordinated by 73 head teachers. A few also wanted to learn to write names in English, sign with their husbands’ name as surname and so on,” said Marudhunayagam.