‘Women literacy rate improved in villages’

n the 2001 census, the literacy rate of women in Tamil Nadu was below 50 per cent. To uplift the women community, in 2009, an intervention by the state and central government brought in the Saakshar Bharat scheme by the Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Human Resources Department. 

The following year, around 3,602 centres were established in nine districts across the State where men and women who either are school dropouts or never went to school underwent the training programme. They were taught alphabets, numerical and also to read and write sentences. Joint Director of Non-formal and Adult Education Kuppusamy said, “Those who dropped out of school or are illiterate and aged above 15 were enrolled in the training programme held in Ariyalur, Dharmapuri, Villupuram, Salem, Erode, Tirupur and Krishnagiri districts. 

So far, around 24 lakh people have benefitted. The programme which is primarily aimed at improving the lives of women also imparts various life skills to them to make them self-sufficient. In 2001, the literacy rate in the State was at 73.4 per cent, while it increased to 80.33 per cent in 2011, he pointed out. 

“India’s literacy rate, which stood at 64.86 per cent in 2001 rose to 74.04 per cent in 2011,” he said, Tamil Nadu was getting better.