Coimbatore district eyeing 100% literacy by end of this year

COIMBATORE: The school education department has identified 30,871 learners and engaged 1,300 volunteers in Coimbatore district to train them under the New India Literacy Programme-ULLAS to achieve 100% literacy by the end of this year.

A school education department official said in the pursuit of achieving full literacy in Tamil Nadu, 15 lakh learners are being targeted in the final phase of the New India Literacy Programme in the state.

“In Coimbatore district, we covered 27,000 learners in the first two phases. In the final phase, 30,871 learners have been identified, and 1,300 volunteers will train them to help the district achieve full literacy by the end of this year. Soon, our district will be declared a district with 100% literacy,” said the official.

“In the programme, learners are taught basic reading and writing skills. Volunteer training is also under way in all 15 blocks of the district to enable the 1,300 volunteers to impart basic literacy and numeracy to the targeted learners,” he added.

Many NSS volunteers from schools and colleges are involved in the programme. On Thursday, Pon Kumar, joint director, Directorate of Non-Formal and Adult Education, and chief education officer R Balamurali honoured 2,500 NSS volunteers and 15 NSS programme officers of Avinashilingam University with Literacy Luminary Awards for their remarkable service in imparting basic literacy and numeracy skills to illiterate people aged above 15 years in 26 villages in the district, the official said.