NATURE OF WORK :

Shramik Vidyapeeth on the whole working for the upliftment of low socio-economic group of the society. The operational areas are slums, communities, correctional institutes and the peripheral area where the disadvantaged group are residing.

OBSERVATION

Literacy is an effective instrument for social and economic development and national integration. Women become aware of their social and legal rights learn and improve the income generating skills acquire a voice in the affairs of the family and the community.

Today, throughout the world one of the major anxieties is illiteracy. It Was felt that there should be a universal literacy. The world conference organised by Ministry of Education on the eradication of illiteracy ML-t in Tehran in 1965. This conference gave international expression to eradication of illiteracy in changing the outlook of the society. Reading and writing lead to training for the work increase productivity, a greater participation in civil life and a better understanding of the surrounding world. Literacy ultimately opens the way to basic human culture.

The famous saying An Educated woman leads to an educated family. It is believed that when you literate a man. you literate an individual but when you literate a female you literate the family.

The urgency of removing illiteracy among women because of that educating the women was educating generation to Come. Provision of educational opportunities to women has been important programme in the education since independence. Because women comprises 57 % of illiterate population and 70 % are girls among them. Inspite of efforts, the education system has not been able to make sufficient contribution towards women equality. Literacy has an direct impact on raising the status of women and improving the health of family.

A woman is a care giver for her family members

A woman is a care giver for her family members whether she is married or not. Due to literacy she can raise the status and improve the health of family as a literate woman and makes tremendous difference to her loved one's health and education than a illiterate woman. A literate woman is able to determine herself better chances of survival. She determines her acceptance for any medical care eg. immunisation of her child and e>tpress willingness to adopt family planning matter. Here a literacy changes fatalistic attitude from woman's mind.

Woman is a tune in nature

A woman possesses a quality of tuning herself with nature. Any difficulty, calamity, crisis, she can face boldly by her own. Any problem she can stand by with full strength, can deal so any social, economical and personal family problems easily. Being literate a woman can bring quality and living style by earning herself. She becomes self reliant by her economical independence and saved by cheating herself from disception.

A woman is valued more when she is earning

Literacy makes woman literate and thus gives her more earning opportunities in proper organised manners. Thus she obtains economical status in the society. Due to her ear-ning capacity she is valued more at her mother's place as well as her husband's place too). By a nature an earning woman always gives priority first to her family to spend whatever she has earned. On the contrary a man will give the priority to own interest. This is the major difference a man literate and woman literate.

A crucial Question arises in my mind that can modern democratic nation may built on the foundation of the ignorance and illiteracy ? If no all the efforts should be targeted in the directions of eradication of illiteracy. The task is very difficult. But possible too). Eradication of illiteracy forms an important component of human resource development. This can go long way effectively solving some major problems confronting the country including poverty alleviation. Literacy should not be divorced from the main rc3c3dt and heritage of the people it should enable people to develop their traditional values, culture and ancient heritage.

In India female constitute half of the population as a majority of the country in the world without literacy they are voiceless body of the people. Their roles in the nation economy is ignore and their personal development neglected.

Illiterate women remain the poorest of the poor even when they play an essential role in their economical development of their families and the communities. These women are the least paid and most exploited. To live female illiterate to live one half of the society. paralyzed and weaker. Here I remember once again when you literate a female you literate a one family. Literacy of female is a critical input for improving national status raising the age of marriage, acceptance of the family planning and improvement +or their self image and empowerment. It helps the women to improve their status in the society.

According to the principle of adult learning as age increases the capacity of learning decreases. So there could be a few slow learners who were not able to reach upto the mark of literacy. A point raised why poor Indian women need to become literate and why they remain illiterate. There are number of reasons. On the first phase I can say poor woman cannot afford education. Secondly mean from the community are not that much educated that they will understand the need of women literacy, educational institutions are not available in villages or remote areas and the most crucial reason is social status of women when she is at minor age looking after the siblings, do the domestic work, and make herself a victim of child labour.

Due to lack, of facilities of practice they could not continue reading and writing. Thus it resulted into illiteracy. Females from the low income group they have to go for work to earn daily. Hence. they cannot able to attend literacy classes and remain illiterate. A few females are migrating, hence, not aware of such type of classes so they are not in the list and remain ignorant. A few of them remain absent due to social commitment, ceremonies and other personal reasons which keep them away from such type of Knowledgable source. Unfortunately female group remained illiterate.

Increasing education of women and girls contribute to their greater empowerment. Curriculum should develop with basic messages which include the need for small families. right marriage age,. responsible parenthood '. population changes ', related beliefs and customs. Certain points need to be promoted like environment conservation and women equality. Education would be used as strategy for achieving the basic change in the status of women for the following features :

• To plan a positive interventionist role in the empowerment of women.
  
• To promote the encouragement towards active programme.
  
• To widen the excess of women in programmes of vocational and technical education.

Women become empower through collective reflection and decision making.

PARAMETERS

Building a positive self image and self confidence, developing ability to think critically building LIP group cohesion and fostering decision making and action.

Ensuring equal participation in the process of bringing about social change.

Encouraging group action in order to bring about change in the society.

MEASURES

Educational institutions should develop such an active programme of women development built around study and awareness of women predicament and for promotion of the communication and organisation of women. All leading educational institutions. adult education centres should incorporate a wave of motivation to work for women's empowerment. Women workers should play and activists role towards women equality. Special programmes should develop to promote general awareness and self image through a variety of programmes like street plays, slits, discussions, wall papers,- shows, posters etc. Preference should be given to female teacher so that it will create a greater confidence in the rural areas and motivation to the parents to sent girls to the schools. (Government of India initiated the scheme as an incentive to provide bicycle to the girls to attend the school regularly.)

Neither an individual nor a nation can survive without a sense of self confidence and pride. To achieve the multiple but independence goals of personal economical. social. political and culture development. It is necessary to make appropriate provision for integrated programmes of education for people who happen to be living at different levels of personal and economical development possessing different linguistic, social and cultural attributes. Such programmes will have to have a common core, curriculum to strengthen unity within diversity and also to facilitate the mobility from one part of the country to another. Secondly, people would not be too desperate between sexes among social groups and across geographical regions.

If adequate measures are not taken for the spread of education , literacy it will result into building Lip disintegrative tension, economic disabilities, regional imbalances and social injustices. Therefore, the concept of education as an instrument in overall development is the only instrument of peaceful social change. I request to initiate the spread of education will not be forth come unless the decision makers, policy makers , administrators, educators and academicians are convinced that education is a crucial input for future development.

A topic introduces development challenge for 21st century, May I ask whether is it possible for the country like India to be fully literate within just three years ?

Accordingly to my views my perception repeatedly asking a question how it will be possible for the developing countries without any strong backing genuine literacy programme and sufficient finance. There should be a back up programme called triangle one which ultimately leads to educated from illiterate to neo-literate and then fully literate.

Contact Info:

Sushama D. Alshi.
Director of Shramik Vidyapeeth
Vadodara
Gujarat State in India