The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Continuing education, a priority area: VC

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jun 30, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Continuing education, a priority area: VC

Special Correspondent

CHENNAI: Continuing adult education was a priority area for the University of Madras, Vice- Chancellor S.P. Thyagarajan said on Thursday.

Universities had to carry out three major functions - teaching, research and extension activities - and the University's adult and continuing education programme was targeted to satisfy the last criterion, he said while inaugurating the State-level training workshop for key resource persons on women's literacy organised by the university's Department of Adult and Continuing Education and the State Resource Centre for Adult and Continuing Education.

Though literacy levels in Tamil Nadu touched 73.5 per cent as per 2001 figures, the prevalence among rural women was only 55 per cent and the State had been set the target of closing the gap by 2007.

Hence, eradicating illiteracy among rural women was a priority task, which could be achieved by forming a triangular partnership involving the government, academia and corporates. Self-help group volunteers, unemployed youth and educated housewives would be trained by universities in this mission and corporates could bring in the expertise required for this.

Though a good network of activities and facilitators was already available, an effective monitoring methodology was needed. Computer-based literacy was the foundation for all knowledge-based activities and capacity building of trainers had to be accorded importance, he added.

The Vice-Chancellor also released two books published by the State Resource Centre, Research on Computer-based Functional Literacy and Tamil Nadu Literacy Scenario. R. Rajan, director, SRC; N.V.R. Kapali, director, Department of Adult and Continuing Education and M. Somasundaram, principal consultant, Tata Consultancy Services, were also present.

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