The goal for the XI Plan is to attain 85% literacy by 2012.The target for male literacy is 90% and for female literacy is 80%.The gender gap in literacy is to be reduced to 10% along with bridging of regional, social and gender disparities. The illiterates in the 35+ age-group are also expected to be covered during a computer based self learning system. New models of continuing education will be developed to achieve a much higher level of literacy.
The goals as laid down in the Approach Paper of the Planning Commission would mean that a new age-group (35+) would be added to the target. This would mean a target of covering 259.52 million illiterates during the XI Plan. In addition, there are already 124 million neo-literates whose wants for lifelong learning have to be addressed.
Revised strategy for the XI Plan:
The existing schemes of Total Literacy Campaign (TLC), Post Literacy Programme (PLP) and Continuing Educaiton Programme (CEP) have been amalgamated into a single scheme known as ‘Adult Education & Skill Growth’. The thrust of the programme would be on addressing the learning needs of the illiterates and neo-literates provide them with opportunities of lifelong learning and skill development, and linking them with issues of rights, governance and livelihoods. The new programme to be launched after amalgamating the TLC, PLP and CE stages is called Lifelong Education and Awareness Programme (LEAP). The main features of the LEAP are:
- Special types of learning packages and learning programmes to suit the needs of different categories of beneficiaries.
- Life Skills Education with focus on communication skills, difficulty solving skills, entrepreneurial skills etc.
- Inforamtion window on Health, Rural growth, Environment Conservation etc.
- Target Specific Programme chiefly Equivalency Programmes to typical the neo-literates and others with the formal system.
- Rural libraries with focus on neo-literates literature.
- Knowledge Programmes to discuss on issues like RTI, REGP, NRHM, HIV/AIDS etc.
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