Literacy in Action: Challenges in the Adult Education System in India

Literacy and adult education is a critical component of the global Education for All (EFA) movement led by UNESCO. Despite the various adult education programmes launched by the central and state governments since Independence, India is lagging behind in the drive to achieve total literacy. Literacy in Action presents an extensive overview of India’s adult education programmes and analyses the shortcomings in the policy framework and implementation of the programmes. It discusses the divergences and contradictions between the various underlying perspectives such as state and user, individual and social dimensions of literacy, and literacy as education versus literacy as development. The book calls upon the Indian literacy fraternity to reconcile the divergent perspectives and adopt approaches suitable to the Indian context. The book covers the important curriculum and pedagogical issues, motivation and mobilization strategies, post-literacy and continuing education arrangements, monitoring and evaluation methods, and delivery mechanisms and financial resources crucial for implementation. This makes the book highly relevant for the current adult education initiatives such as the planned launch of a new national literacy programme with the involvement of students. Due to its fresh perspective and broad coverage, this book will prove indispensable for all stakeholders in India’s literacy and adult education movement.