Chengamanad set to score a perfect 100

KOCHI:Chengamanad Panchayat has every reason to rejoice. It will soon be declared the first panchayat in the Ernakulam district to attain 100 percent literacy in primary education. What makes Chengamanad Panchayat in Aluva constituency unique is that to procure complete literacy level, it has evolved home-grown project, funded by the District Literacy Mission. Apart from this achievement at the primary education level, the Panchayat has also vigorously launched the 7th Equivalency Programme.“It is the Literacy Mission that usually designs such programmes. But here, the Panchayat has taken initiatives to sketch a programme which suits local needs,” said K V Ratheesh, District Coordinator, Literacy Mission. It is usually the ‘Preraks’ (facilitators) of the Literacy Mission who are responsible for undertaking the teaching process. But apart from utilising their services, the Panchayat went a step ahead and brought in the services of additional instructors to tutor their people. It is an added advantage. The number of people eager to join the course, especially women, is quite high. So, the services of the preraks would not suffice. Hence, they came up with additional instructors,” Ratheesh said.The District Literacy Mission officials also said that they were formulating a programme called ‘Skill-development and Equivalency’ along with Std 4 and Std 7 equivalency exams, where training will be provided in tailoring, saree designing, fabric painting, ornaments making, artificial-jewellery making and the like. “Women seem very eager to join the course. To give them a further boost, the Panchayat has even distributed spectacles,” he said.Anwar Sadath, MLA, Aluva said that it was team work that bore fruit for them. “The Panchayat has been giving support in every possible way to attain this success,” he said.To make local bodies completely literate at the primary level education, the District Literacy Mission has already launched ‘Athulyam 2011’ programme. Ratheesh said that Panchayats like Varappuzha, Manjapra, Kumbalam, Kanjoor are among those that have enrolled for the scheme and will soon be declared hundred percent literate. 10 other Panchayats have enrolled for the ‘Athulyam’ scheme are Pallarimangalam, Mazhuvannoor, Asamannoor, Piravom, Nayarambalam, Kumbalangi, Payipra, Puthenvelikkara, Kottuvalli and Karukutti.