Full literacy in sight, Chandigarh administration asks schools to ‘adopt’ a student each
With an eye on achieving “full literacy”, the UT Education Department has asked its affiliated schools to adopt one non-literate adult each. The schools are expected to help them clear an assessment as part of the Centre’s Understanding of Lifelong Learning for all in Society (ULLAS) scheme.
As per the 2011 Census, Chandigarh has a literacy rate of 86.43 per cent.
Sharing details about the plan to achieve the goal, Harsuhinderpal Singh Brar, Director School Education (DSE) said, “The learner will be taught as per their convenience without disrupting the formal education at school.”
The ULLAS, also known as the New India Literacy Programme, is a centrally sponsored initiative that aligns with the National Education Policy. It also directs that a state/union territory can declare itself fully literate if the milestone as per newly defined criteria of “full literacy” (95 per cent) is achieved.
The scheme aims to empower adults aged 15 and above from all backgrounds offering a holistic framework with five key components including, foundation literacy and numeracy (basic reading, writing and math skills with comprehension), critical life skills (financial and digital literacy, health and civic awareness), vocational skills (job oriented training linked to local employment needs), basic education (equivalency programs, aligned with formal schooling levels) and continuing education (enrichment courses in arts, science, technology, culture and beyond).
Once ready, the students can appear for the Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Assessment Test (FLNAT), a nationwide assessment test designed to evaluate the basic literacy and numeracy skills of non-literate learners. It evaluates reading, writing and numeracy skills of registered non-literate individuals aged 15 and above.
The UT department has also decided that a maximum of 10 marks weight age will be given to the teachers towards the 2025-26 state awards.
The markers for the assessment includes non-literate adult taught and able to pass the FLNAT (3 marks), teacher teaching one non-literate adult (2 marks), teacher teaching additional non-literate adult (1 mark per student) and additional non literate adult taught and able to pass FLNAT (1 mark per passed student).
Chandigarh