1. Towards Total Literacy
K K Krishnakumar
Kerala, India

2. Towards Total Literacy
K K Krishnakumar
Kerala, India

3. Kerala

4. Kerala Population 32 Million Population Density 819 / km2
Language Malayalam
Sex Ratio *
* No of women per 1000 men

5. Literacy Rates Literacy M F Total Kerala 94 88 91 India 76 54 65 China95 86
USA 97

6. Total Literacy Campaign in Ernakulam District, Kerala: 1989
~ 150,000 Learners
~ 20,000 Voluntary Teachers
~ Mass Campaign Mode
~ Government, Non-Government Collaboration
~ Lesson for the Entire Country
~ UNESCO Award

7. Total Literacy Campaign in Kerala: 1990 - ‘91
~ Around 300,000 Volunteers/Teachers
~ 3 Million Learners
~ 13 Districts
~ 65% Learners and About 70% Volunteer
Instructors were Women

8. Total Literacy Campaign in Kerala: 1990 - ‘91
~ High Voltage Mass Campaign
~ Environment Creation
~ Involve All Sections of Society
~ Mobilise Volunteers

9. Total Literacy Campaign in Kerala: 1990 - ‘91
~ Cultural Programmes - Kalajatha (Cultural Caravan)
~ Festivals as an Organisational Mode
~ Festival of Literacy Lights
~ Festival of Floral Letters
~ Festivals as Highest Form of Participation

10. Milestones ~ Massive Literacy Survey ~ Enrolment of Voluntary Teachers
~ Training of Voluntary Teachers with Local
Participation and Support
~ Class Inauguration Festivals

11. Milestones ~ Festival to Celebrate Total Enrolment
~ Several Waves of Environment Creation
~ Involving Children, Youth, Teachers, Police etc
~ Facilitating Creative Participation

12. Milestones ~ Massive Eye Testing and Spectacle Distribution
~ Neo-Literate Cultural Festivals
~ Study Tours by Learners, Village Mapping
~ Village Parliaments
~ Total Literacy Declaration Festivals

13. Training Structure

14. Literacy as ~ A Platform for Collective Thought and Action
~ A Binding Force
~ A Cultural Process
~ A Beginning to Lifelong Education and a Learning
Society

15. From Ernakulam to Kerala to India
~ Total Literacy Campaigns
~ One of the Biggest Mobilisations Since Indian
Freedom Movement
~ About 3 Million Volunteers
~ Around 500 Districts Covered
~ Highest Decadal Growth of % in Literacy
~ Million Neo-literates
Literacy in India
1991
52.21%
2001
65.38%

16. Off Shoots of Literacy Campaign
Literacy to…
~ Health Campaign
~ Library and People’s Reading
~ Land Literacy and Resource Mapping
~ Women’s Empowerment
~ Micro Credit Groups
~ Neo-literates’ Co-operatives
~ Resistance Movements
~ Right To Information

17. Off Shoots of Literacy Campaign
~ Cycling Women of Puthukkottai
~ Anti Arrack Campaign of Nelloor
~ Self Respect Movement in Bihar
~ Political Participation by Women
~ Support for Elementary Education
~ People Against Communalism

18. Bharat Gyan Vigyan Jatha
~ 300 Major Rallies, 1000s of Sub Rallies
~ Cultural Upsurge All Over the Country
~ Creation of Demand for Learning
~ Cultural Programmes for Mobilisation and Organisation
~ Local People’s Committees

19. From Learning the Word to Learning the World
~ Primary Education
~ People’s Participatory Development
~ Women Empowerment
~ Deepening Political Participation

20. It’s Not All Rosy Rosy… So they say,
Literacy Threatens…
~ Village Landlords
~ Political Self Interests
~ Bureaucrats
~ Husbands!!
So they say,
“ Just Learn to Read and Write…Nothing More”
But Its Political!

21. Thank You