The government will soon launch ‘LEAP (Life Long Education and Awareness Programme) Kerala Mission', a non-formal education scheme as part of the continuing literacy programme, Education Minister M.A Baby said here on Sunday.

Inaugurating the19th year celebrations of the State's total literacy status declaration, he said the State Planning Board had approved the initiative and allotted about Rs.8 crore for implementing the programme.

With the new step - intended to provide education and vocational training for the illiterate - the State should now look forward to achieve cent per cent literacy and education equivalent to at least fourth standard, he added.

Central policy

He said the new literacy policy of the Centre giving thrust to female literacy was a setback as it would hamper the State's efforts to carry on the continuing literacy programme. As per the new policy, Central assistance would be limited to only those districts that had an average female literacy rate of below 55 per cent. This was above 86 per cent in all the districts and no fund would be available for the State in this regard for raising the standard of education, he said.

Criticising the right to education Bill, he said that Central initiatives were made without taking into consideration Kerala's achievements in the field of education and health and the State stood to gain nothing from these steps.

District panchayat president P.S. Shyla presided and State literacy mission director Prabhakaran Pazhassi made the welcome address.

K.P Dhanapalan, MP, and Planning Board member C.P Narayanan were among those spoke.

Source: The Hindu