Become literate in 45-days?

NEW DELHI: Believe it or not, but theeducation department of Municipal Council of Delhi (MCD) seems to be coming upwith some over-ambitious plans. After announcing intensive training for teachersin summer vacations, the department is now gearing up to ensure 100% literacy inall its schools. It claims, a new programme will make unlettered studentsliterate in flat 45 days.The project titled ''Read India'' is targetedat unlettered students in classes II, III, and IV who generally join schoollate. The department feels this crash course will prepare unlettered students totackle further studies."Our aim is to make every MCD school studentliterate. Knowing the language is vital for studying other subjects as well,"said director (primary education), MCD, Indira Yadav.The project isa two-tier one with the first phase comprising orientation and training forteachers. Trained teachers will then conduct the 45-day literacy programme forstudents. The initiative will kick off in June with the Shahadra zone, which hasabout 200 MCD schools. Schools in Vivek Vihar and Geeta colony have been chosenas venues for the teacher training that is to begin in the third week ofJune."The success of the project depends on sound teacherorientation, as it is the teachers who will interact with students. The emphasiswill be on simple techniques and use of visual aids to make learning easy," saidan official.Field-testing with students is to take place in thesecond week of July after schools re-open. The process will involveidentification of unlettered students who will then undergo the 45-day training.The project is to be conducted within school hours, however, the department isalso writing to schools to increase working hours by 15 to 20minutes."We are requesting schools to help make this project asuccess by putting in just 15 more minutes per day," saidYadav.Officials say that results of the project will be analysedfrom the Shahadra project, after which it will be extended to other zones aswell."We will gauge feedback and analyse the success rate. Theproject may then be modified accordingly and extended to other areas," said anofficial.