Background

Rewari TLC was accorded approval by NLM in Feb. 1994 for a projected target of nearly 1.5 lakhs non-literates in the 15-45 age group. Scheduled for an 18 months duration, the programme is said to have been on course till July 1996, after which, owing to a variety of reasons, it seemed to have lost momentum and drifted to a halt. A Concurrent Evaluation by an external agency around July 96, found 20.03% NLM level achievement.

Rewari is one of the OR TLCs. The OR team which visited Rewari early this year, during the previous Dy. Commissioner's period, is believed to have found the situation not favourable for taking up Rewari TLC for OR. Even so, not much appears to have been done till Aug. when the present Dy. Commissioner joined. And, after a gap of nearly more than a year, the present Dy. Commissioner has taken up the revival of TLC. For the last 3 months, considerable spade work and preparations appear to have been done. Significant about these preparations is the large scale monetary implications oriented activities like RP, MT and VT trainings, taken up and completed, diverting funds from other departments, as there was no balance left from the first installment released by NLM and State Govt. The second and a related aspect pertains to the funds implication of the T-L phase, like fulltimers, monitoring, as they plan to commence the T-L in 2 blocks slated for OR in the first phase.

The OR Proposal

With TLC background of the whole state, the present Dy. Commissioner, having worked as Director of Adult Education earlier, conceptualised the Rewari TLC-OR. The district is small, with only 6 blocks and about 77,000 non-literates in the 15-35 age group. Yet for the lack of voluntaryism spirit and VAs in the field of adult education, the only option appears to be the administration shouldering the major responsibility of TLC revival. And here too, shortages of personnel and resources has left the only option of either spreading it then or by concentrating all attention and personnel resources in one or two blocks at a time and moving on to others in stages. Success encourages, but failure yet again would mean the cause of literacy irretrievably gone. Therefore, there looks to be an earthy realism about the idea of going it in stages, proceeding on the basis of success than taking all the 6 blocks in one go and having to mount yet another back log clearing operation again.

Efforts

An Action Plan of OR, dividing the 6 blocks, into 3 stages, has been conceptualised in broad outlines. In terms of objectives, there is an intention to link UPE efforts with TLC. The organisational structure and management system for monitoring and supervision at the Block and Cluster level has been worked out and functional now. Each Cluster Committee is entrusted with all organisational and management responsibilities, including the selection or approval of literacy coordinator and the volunteer instructors. Similar structures have been devised at village and ward levels, calculated to draw in the Panchayats and teachers.

There appears to have been regular meetings and visits of at least the nodal officers to the villages under their charge during the last three months. From the photos and press cuttings one could notice there were cluster level meetings. These efforts to mobilize the literates also seem to have been followed with an attempt to reach the non-literates and the village society. It looks, there was a matka literacy rally in every village, involving the women as well as cycle rallies. Besides these, there have also been kalajatha programmes covering all villages.

A training schedule, involving RPs, MTs and VTs, has been underway and VT scheduled to be co pleted by the end of October. Classes are slated to commence from Nov. 1 in the 2 blocks taken up in Phase I of OR.

OR Visit to Rewari

Rewari TLC was visited on Oct. 24-25 and during the visit, the initial meeting with the District Coordinator and the ZSS Secretary helped to learn about the background of the programme -- the fairly steady pace of the programme from Feb. 95 to July 96; the gap between July 96-July 97, and the attempts at revival since Aug. 97. In the first meeting with us, the Dy. Commissioner discussed the OR proposal and the efforts undertaken so far.

Field visits to two villages and one Block headquarters were made. These were unannounced and we attempted to meet people as we came along and learn from them, first had, about the initial phase of the TLC, their experience and perception. In Nahar Block headquarters, we met the Headmasters and Principals (about 60) of Middle and Secondary Schools, who were attending a Seminar on Moral Education. The experience of TLC between Feb.95-July 96 was not very rewarding considering that just about one out of every five learners managed to successfully complete all 3 primers. This was when teachers shouldered the major responsibility of training and academic supervision of the T-L process. Given the fact that T-L ground to a halt the moment administration's involvement declined, it looks that one cannot rely on teachers' role in TLC as the spearhead of the enlightened section of civil society. In other words, teachers' role in TLC was almost involuntary, forced on them by the administration and they felt relieved the moment that pressure was relented. Is his perception right? If so, then with what assurance can one look up to teachers' involvement in the OR? To these our perceptions or apprehensions the teachers' reaction was a mixed one. Some were positive about the need for TLC and teachers' involvement. Others felt that given lack of voluntaryism, incentives approach would have been better. Cynicism of the literates, especially the teachers in Haryana is a factor to reckon with. But given the fact that there is no other section in civil society from where one can draw upon such a vast pool of pedagogical-academic resources as from the teaching community, the sensitization of this section looks to have been deficient. A mixture of two approaches seems prudent: (i) the cajoling of this section, perhaps with a carrot and stick approach; and (ii) an honest and vigorous attempt to bring a moral pressure on them by making it plain to them that the literacy obligation is primarily theirs, an obligation which the society, including the administration values and appreicates immensely. It looked that the literacy pursuit was thrust on them as the softest target, pre-ordained as teachers, be it training, or supervison of centres in evenings and nights, no matter what the hardships and inconvenience it entailed. And this too without a sense of recognition and appreciation. Credit, if any, is all for administratioin, and blame for all shortcomings on teachers. Perhaps a sense of valuing and appreciation would have offered a different story to teachers' involvement. And yet with all misgivings about treachers' professional morality and sensitivity to a social cause like TLC, one did not get a feeling of total disappointment in interacting with them. In fact, there was enough encouragement that a proper rapport building approach with them would provide the OR enough padagogical-academic support.

Our Assessment

Rewari looks economically and agriculturally backward. Nearly 36% of the population belong to the SC category. Thus, economic and social backwardness of Rewari looks to exacerbate the general literacy un-conducive social milieu of Haryana. The TLC pursuit was relatively more difficult even in the first _instance. It is even more complicated at the OR stage. The meagre success(20%) in the first instance would make any one wary of a second attempt. What confounds the problem is the long gap and the unavoidable cynicism of the literates and disillusion of the non-literates. Even with these odds, an attempt is being made at OR. Thus, Rewari TLC deserves support for daring to revive a disrupted TLC in an un-conducive atmosphere and with many odds. The interactions at the field level, with the Panchayat members, ex-servicemen, the VTs, village people and teachers indicated: (i) a general perception of value and need for literacy, by the literates; (ii) a certain duality between the lack of voluntaryism, accentuated by the subsidy, dependency or expectation mentality across literates, VTS and learners alike and a degree of failure in driving home the message of voluntaryism of TLC and exorcising the mentality; (iii) the probability of too heavy a reliance on the teachers, as an obligation pre-ordained on them, without proper sensitization and consequently, their cynicism about TLC which could have adversely affected the morale of the VTs and the learners, the quality of T-L which they supervised; and (iv) an organisational structure and management system looked popular in composition but remained only nominal and the TLC driven by the steam of the district administration: the failure at real involvement of cross sections meant that TLC remained basically the burden of administration which when diverted by other more pressing pre- occupations, or lack of commitment at the top with change of DC, deserted the TLC, no matter at what stage of implementation was. Thus, it seemed to us that the OR now started, needs to build in some safeguards.

Some Fraternal Suggestions

(i) The interaction with the DC and other TLC functionaries was intended to view the OR efforts in relation to these earlier deficiencies and the safeguards envisaged/devised for the OR. Since the administration shouldered the campaign, almost single handedly and had also left it midway, its lead now to revive and complete it is welcome. That this is sought to be done with greater non-official participation at block, cluster, village and ward levels reflects an appreciation to rectify the earlier deficiencies. This should give greater assurance of cross sectional involvement. But the lead taken by the administration to broach and revive the community interest should now quickly give way to a (community) non-officials-administration partnership. The inactiveness of the panchayats, the semi-govt. grassroots functionaries like the Anganwadi workers, NYKs, etc and the community based organisations like Mahila Mandals, Youth clubs, and, most important, the ex-servicemen, is bound to stretch the energies of the administration. Even conceding that the EB campaign, meetings and rallies, organised by administration has succeeded in spreading the OR message, it is doubtful if the cross sectional decentralised TLC management system envisaged in the OR has been seriously attempted. Our suggestions in this regard are to: (i) energise, through weekly/fortnightly meetings the TLC decentralised management committees; (ii) consciously create a network of the community based organisations; (iii) establish a new network of ex- servicemen(20,000 strong, besides another 15,000 servicemen); and (iv) enlarge the TLC leadership at cluster, village and ward levels with the leaders of these CBOs. The expectation mentality is so pervasive that it cannot be wished away. It is all right to clarify that TLC is all voluntaryism and selfless service. To some extent it may work with the literates. What about the non-literates, who it is said, are ready to wait at the ICDS centre for hours to get the free cup of tea and some biscuits, rather than come to the literacy centre even for half an hour, because they don't get anything. The VTs expectations are also a factor to reckon with. Socio-economic backwardness and poverty is certainly a reason. If the learners and the VTs view their involvement in literacy with some hopes and expectation for improvement in their condition, there is need to draw a lesson from this. Schemes for VTs development and incentives by way of a certificate, to be honoured as a weightage when seeking some employment, especially the youth VTs, are not inimical to the TLC ethos. They serve as encouragement. Same is the case with the learners. A forthright attempt to link some of the anti-poverty programmes(e.g. distribution of the free nutrition items of the ICDS through the literacy centres, as suggested by the VTs), and welfare schemes with the literacy programme does enhance its relevance and appeal to the learners. Thus, while discouraging dependency mentality, positive measures for VT development, like dovetailing social welfare programmes with TLC demonstrates a care for the poor, than merely deprecating the dependency mentality.

3. Rewari's six blocks are proposed to be taken up in 3 phases, each phase scheduled sequentially, to last till March 1999. It would be better to take up the OR in two phases -- two blocks in th e first instance and the remaining 4 blocks in the second phase. Each phase could be scheduled for 9-10 months duration, and the second phase commencement could be staggered by 6 months after the commencement of the first phase. This would allow time for preparations like EB, training, cross-sectional committee creation and monitoring-review system, which would take care of smooth T-L phase. By this system, assuming that the first phase, starting from Nov. 97 could go on till July-Aug. 98 and the second phase, starting 6 months later, in May 98, could be completed by Jan-Feb.99. Not less than 9-10 months would be needed to complete T-L phase; there is no point starting T-L phase without a sound preparation; and too many phases would create problems, especially in respect of catching up with the unenrolled and slow learners and planning for PLC, besides organisational-management problems attendant in a milieu of administrative leadership's instability of tenure. Thus, proposal is: Rewari TLC-OR in two phases, of 9-10 months duration, overlappingly implemented with 6 months gap.

4. In terms of administration's involvement, the arrangement worked out suggests that the participation is heavily from revenue, civil and development departments -- SDOs, Tehsildars and BDOs as cluster incharges. If administration is to be perceived, by the common people, to be wholly involved, all line departments, should be seen to be involved and concerned about TLC. Only then, it lends substance to linking literacy with the various social welfare and development programmes and agencies. There are easily 30-40 departments/agencies in a district, besides various banks, cooperatives, etc. Their grassroots workers, much like their officers at Block/Tehsil/Sub- Divisional levels, must be made a part of administration's nvolvement in OR. This involvement must range from actual participation in OR, in monitoring based on area/task division, account for the same at the fortnightly/monthly review meetings at cluster, block and district levels. There is no point in involving just one or two departments in TLC and leaving out the rest. One can give any number of reasons for not doing it; every department/agency of the govt. including semi-govt. ones, must be involved in OR. There is no other way to lend central priority to literacy in administration to be seen and perceived by the people.

Conclusion and Recommendation

Rewari TLC, brought under the purview of OR, was considered not ready by a previous NLM-OR consultant team in Feb.-March this year. Even so nothing seems to have been done by the ZSS and the then DC till July 97. Under the present DC, OR efforts were initiated on their own and requests came from them to sanction OR for Rewari TLC. Proposing 3 phases of 2 blocks each, preparations were completed when we visited and T-L as scheduled to commence from Nov. 1. There is no balance left of the original TLC budget, of which only the first installment from NLM and the State Govt. was said to have been received. Funds from other departments were diverted for EB, training, etc, hoping that NLM sanction would come soon. We found the DC's interest, as well as other nodal officers and the response of the general public assuring. We proposed some suggestions, as listed above, including a detailed OR proposal, taking up all six blocks in two phases of 9-10 months duration, taken up overalappingly so that the OR is completed within 15 months. The DC and other ZSS functionaries have agreed to do this in Nov. They have already started the OR in 2 blocks on their own conviction and commitment and about to commence the T-L. With a clearly formulated OR proposal, taking into considerations the suggestions we offered, Rewari TLC could be accorded sanction for OR.