“The inability to read and write a simple message in any language.”
That is what the term illiteracy means. Globally, 14% of people over the age of 15 are illiterate. 14% of the population have had minimal or no formal education, making it nearly impossible for them to find good employment, thus severely reducing the quality of the kind of life they will live. Knowing how to read and write is a privilege that too many people simply do not have.
India, home to the world’s first university, 'Takshila' now has the highest population of illiterate adults. While India has rich diversity, good geographical areas, and an abundance of resources, these resources all fall short if the growth and development of human resources don’t occur simultaneously. Problems such as economic disparities, gender, and caste discrimination, the higher rates of destitution, and technological barriers all aid the illiteracy rates in India. Reading and writing are the bedrock of any social development and the lack of this ability gives birth to several issues such as poverty, unemployment, child labour, and female foeticide, to name a few. The inability to gather knowledge means that they’re not able to broaden their understanding of the world around them, thus increasing the aforementioned problems.
What we can do about it:
While perfect solutions for the entire situation may be hard to come by, there are a few things that can be done to reduce the illiteracy rates in the country-
Providing free education and knowledge about the importance of going to school.
Providing provision of grants and financial resources to those who are unable to bear the burden of school fees can receive grants from the government, or scholarships as well as financial aid.
Digitalization can help with the scarce educational facilities and provide a platform for learning that can help reduce illiteracy in society. Having access to digital platforms means that people from rural areas have a plethora of resources available at their fingertips.
Teachers play a significant role in fostering a healthy learning environment for students. It is crucial for them to possess the knowledge and skills that are necessary for teaching to maintain a standard in schools to reduce illiteracy rates.
Long hours of reading and writing can be unstimulating for several students, which is why alongside studying, they need to be engaged in extracurricular activities like sports, dancing, singing, etc. This motivates the students and further encourages them to learn.
The problem in rural areas is that while people- especially people from marginalised sections of society - want to study, they do not have much interest because of the lack of educational facilities. To reduce and prevent illiteracy, it is crucial for transport facilities, good infrastructure, and food and water to be available.
Past Initiatives:
Due to the extensive nature of the problem, the government of India has intervened and created several policies and rulings to combat the problem of illiteracy in the country-
Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao which launched in 2015. The aim of this initiative is “to save and empower the girl child”.
In 1993, the Supreme Court in a ruling said that “children have a fundamental right to free education”. The right to education was included in the Constitution by the 83rd amendment act in 2003 as well.
“All children in the 6-14 years of age group attend school and complete 8 years of schooling by 2010.” This was the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan which was launched in 2001.
Initially started in 1995, the Mid-day meal scheme (now renamed as the POSHAN scheme) was created “to improve the nutritional status of school–age children countrywide.”
Initiatives like e- Pathshala help in providing electronic content of various subjects to students as well as teachers.
Despite these initiatives, 26% of the population is not able to read and write. The state of the country’s education is in a dire condition because of the profit-oriented education that exists both at elementary and higher education levels. Furthermore, the mid-day meal scheme which was launched with the aim of providing nutritious and healthy food to children has been impeded by providing low-quality food to children.
More about it:
According to the International Commission on Financing Global Education Opportunity, “India’s school education system is underperforming in terms of quality in female literacy when compared to its neighbours Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal.” Women who have completed 5 years of primary schooling in India and are educated is 48%, which is very less as compared to its neighbouring countries: 92% in Nepal, 74% in Pakistan, and 54% in Bangladesh. Education shouldn't just be a government-oriented goal but should become every citizen’s responsibility (this can look like volunteering to teach or donating to organisations dedicated to providing education and resources to students) to truly reduce adult illiteracy in the country.
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