Literacy scenario in Tripura

Indraneel Bhowmik

Lecture at NSS Special Camp , Women’s College Agartala

 WHAT IS LITERACY?

The traditional definition of literacy —

the ability to read and write, or the ability to use language to read, write, listen, and
speak.

In modern contexts- reading and writing at a level adequate for communication, or at a

level that lets one understand and communicate ideas in a literate society, so as to take
part in that society.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO):-

“Literacy is the ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate, compute
and use printed and written materials associated with varying contexts. Literacy involves
a continuum of learning to enable an individual to achieve his or her goals, to develop
his or her knowledge and potential, and to participate fully in the wider society."
 When is a person considered "literate":

able to sign his/her name

able to read/write a simple sentence describing one's daily activities

able to read and write, by his/her self-report (not based on a test)

able to pass a written test of reading comprehension at a level comparable to
that achieved by an average student at grade 4

able to engage in all those activities in which literacy is required for effective
functioning in his/her community

Alternatively
A person is literate

if s/he can both read and write a short simple statement

describe his/her everyday life.

A person is functionally literate if s/he can engage in all those activities in

which literacy is required for effective functioning of his/her group and
community and also for enabling him/her to continue to use reading, writing,
and calculation for his own and the community's development.
A person is literate if s/he has completed 5 or more years of schooling.
 LITERACY IN INDIAN POLICY- National Literacy Mission
Functional Literacy should take into account
READING
•Reading aloud, with normal
accent, and at a speed of 30
words a minute, a simple
passage on a topic of interest
to the learner.
•Silent reading at 35 words a
minute, of small paragraphs in
simple language.
•Reading with understanding
the road signs, posters, simple
instructions and
newspapers/broadsheets
designed for neo-literates.
•Ability to follow simple written
passages relating to one's
working and living
environment.
WRITING
•Copying, with understanding, 7
words a minute.
•Taking dictation at 5 words a
minute.
•Writing with proper spacing
and alignment.
•Writing independently, short
letters and applications, and
filling in forms of day-to-day
use to the learner.
NUMERACY
•Reading and writing numerals
1-100.
•Doing simple calculations
(without fraction) involving
addition and subtraction up to 3
digits, and multiplication and
division by 2 digits.
•Working knowledge of metric
units weights, measures
currency, distance, area and
unit of time.
•Broad idea of proportion and
interests (not involving
fractions) and their use in
practical situations.
 THE CENSUS DEFINATIONS
Literacy: -
“ A person aged 7 years and above who can both read and write with understanding
in any language has been taken as literate. It is not necessary for a person to have
received any formal education or passed any minimum educational standard for
being treated as literate. People who were blind and could read in Braille are treated
literates. A person who can neither read nor write or can only read but can not write
in any language is treated as illiterate. All children of age of six years or less, even
going to school and have picked up reading and writing are treated as literate.”

Literacy Rate: -
Literacy rate of population is defined as the percentage of literates to the total
population age 7 years and above.

Literacy Rate= (Number of literates/Population above 7 years) X 100

International Literacy Day
Nodal Agency--- UNESCO
Declaration on November 17, 1965.
1st celebrations in 1966.
Aim - highlight the importance of literacy to individuals, communities and societies.

Some 774 million adults lack minimum literacy skills;

one in five adults is still not literate and two-thirds of them are women;
72.1 million children are out-of-school and many irregular & finally drops out.

South and West Asia has the lowest regional adult literacy rate (58.6%),
followed by sub-Saharan Africa (59.7%), and the Arab States (62.7%). {UNESCO’s
"Global Monitoring Report on Education for All (2006)" }

Clear connection between illiteracy and poverty,

between illiteracy and prejudice against women.
 UNESCO’s Four Pillars
Learning to be: the right to self-definition and self-identification
Learning to know: the right to self-knowledge
Learning to do: the right to self-development
Learning to live together: the right to self-determination

•Millennium Development Goals- UN

‘Education For ALL’

•United Nations Literacy Decade [2003-2012]

The biennium celebration theme for 2007-2008

is
“Literacy and Health”.
International
Literacy Day 2008
has a strong
emphasis on
‘Literacy and
Epidemics’
with a focus on
communicable
diseases such as-
HIV, Tuberculosis &
Malaria
 The benefits of literacy-
•Human Benefits - individual’s self-esteem, confidence and personal empowerment
•Political Benefits- political participation, democracy, ethnic equality, post conflict
situations
•Cultural Benefits- Cultural change, Preservation of cultural diversity
•Social Benefits- Health, Reproductive behaviour, Education, Gender Equality
•Economic Benefits- Economic Growth, Return to Investment
Literacy Spread- The World Over

Lowest literacy rates- Burkina Faso(12.8%), Niger (14.4%) & Mali (19%).

Positive (+) correlation between literacy & development

 Disparity- in India
Highest Lowest
Total
Person Kerala (90.9) Bihar (47.0)
Male Kerala (94.2) Bihar (59.7)
Female Kerala (87.7) Bihar (33.1)
Rural
Person Kerala (90.0) Bihar (43.9)
Male Kerala (93.7) Bihar (57.1)
Female Kerala (86.7) Bihar (29.6)
Urban
Person Mizoram (96.1) Uttar Pradesh (69.8)
Male Mizoram (96.4) Uttar Pradesh (76.8)
Female Mizoram (95.8) Uttar Pradesh (61.7)
 Literacy Situation in the North East India- 2001 Census

States Arunachal Assam Manipur Meghalaya Mizoram Nagaland Sikkim Tripura

Total

Person 54.3 63.3 70.5 62.6 88.8 66.6 68.8 73.2

Male 63.8 71.3 80.3 65.4 90.7 71.2 76 81
Female 43.5 54.6 60.5 59.6 86.7 61.5 60.4 64.9
Gap 20.3 16.7 19.8 5.8 4 9.7 15.6 16.1
Rural
Person 47.8 59.7 67.3 56.3 81.3 62.8 66.8 69.7
Male 57.7 68.2 77.3 59.2 84.9 67.6 74.5 78.4
Female 36.9 50.7 57 53.2 77.3 57.5 58 60.5
Gap 20.8 17.5 20.3 6 7.6 10.1 16.5 17.9
Urban
Person 78.3 85.3 79.3 86.3 96.1 84.7 83.9 89.2
Male 85.2 89.7 88.7 89 96.4 87.4 87.8 93.2
Female 69.5 80.2 70 83.5 95.8 81.4 79.2 85
Gap 15.7 9.5 18.7 5.5 0.6 6 8.6 8.2
 Literacy Scenario in Tripura

Year Person Male Female Gap

1911 4.76 8.06 0.92 7.14

1921 8.21 14.32 1.12 13.20

90 80
1931 3.43 5.93 0.52 5.41
80 70
1941 7.95 12.74 2.46 10.28
70
Male 60
1951 15.5 22.3 08.0 14.3 60 Female
50
50 Gap
1961 24.3 29.6 10.2 19.4 40
Person
40
1971 31.0 40.2 21.2 19.0 30
30
1981 50.1 61.5 38.0 23.5 20
20
10 10
1991 60.4 70.6 49.7 20.9
0 0
2001 73.7 81.5 65.4 16.1
1911 1921 1931 1941 1951 1961 1971 1981 1991 2001
Gender Gap in Literacy
District/State Rural Urban Total
1991 2001 1991 2001 1991 2001
West Tripura 23.8 17.7 12.4 8.5 20.7 15.0
South Tripura 23.3 19.4 13.0 7.6 22.6 18.6
Dhalai 22.0 19.7 8.7 9.9 21.8 19.2
North Tripura 19.8 15.5 9.7 5.9 18.5 14.4
Tripura 22.7 17.9 12.4 8.2 21.0 16.1
Source: THDR, 2007 25 West Tripura South Tripura Dhalai North Tripura Tripura

20

15

10

0
1991 2001 1991 2001 1991 2001

Rural Urban Total

 District/State SC ST
Literacy Rates Male Female Male Female
among the
backward West Tripura 81.2 66.2 78.3 55.8
sections
South Tripura 84.0 68.4 63.4 38.4
Dhalai 77.4 63.2 57.0 33.4
North Tripura 83.7 71.8 61.4 38.7
Tripura 81.8 67.2 68.0 44.6
90
80
70
60
50

40
30 SC Male SC Female ST Male ST Female
20
10

0
West Tripura South Tripura Dhalai North Tripura Tripura
 Area Name Person Female Male Area Name Person Female Male
Mohanpur 73.9 65.6 81.5 Killa 53.7 42.8 64.8
Hezamara 61.2 50.4 71.7 Amarpur 59.0 46.4 70.9
Pabmabil 74.1 63.4 84.5 Matabari 74.3 65.9 82.1
Khowai 80.6 74.2 86.8 Kakraban 76.6 68.3 84.6
Tulashikhar 66.2 56.5 75.7 Rajnagar 74.3 65.1 83
Kalyanpur 79.1 70.9 87.2 Hrishyamukh 71.7 62.7 80
Teliamura 70.6 60.4 79.8 Bagafa 68.4 58.7 77.6
Mandai 65.6 54.6 76.4 Karbuk 48.9 35.8 61.1
Jirania 76.5 68.0 84.4 Rupaichhari 52.4 39.1 64.8
Dukli 80.2 72.9 87.1 Satchand 74.7 64.9 83.9
Jampuijala 63.3 48.8 77.0 Ompi 57.5 45.6 68.6
Bishalgarh 76.2 66.6 85.2

Boxanagar 65.6 56.1 74.4 Gournagar 66.1 58 73.9

Melaghar 71.2 62.4 79.6 Kadamtala 77.2 70 84.1
Kathalia 61.9 53.3 69.9 Panisagar 82.6 76.7 88.1
Mungiakami 61.5 50.7 71.6 Damchhara 49.9 36.2 62.8
Salema 72.0 64.3 79.4 Pencharthal 69.3 59.8 78.2
Manu 61.9 50.0 72.8 Kumarghat 78.8 72.2 85.0
Ambassa 54.8 44.5 64.3 Dasda 53.4 42.9 63.1
Chhamanu 33.1 18.5 46.1 Jampuii hills 74.0 66.3 81.0
Dumburnagar 41.5 28.9 53.0
The LITERACY SPREAD

33.1- 61.9
62.0 - 70.6
70.7-76.0
76.1- 82.7
 People need literacy skills-

to read a bus schedule or the daily newspaper,

to calculate the dosage for medication,

to use a computer program, or

to follow and engage in a debate about government policy.

Being able to read, understand, and act on written material and basic numerical
information is fundamental for parents, students, workers, community members, and
citizens.

At the individual level, low literacy skills have an impact on people’s ability to support
themselves and their family. Low income, poor health, and social exclusion are all
associated with low literacy.

At the economic and societal level, low literacy skills can be a barrier to having the
highly skilled productive work force and strong thriving communities that underpin a high
standard of living.
Let us
all strive
towards
the
goal……………
………..