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There
may not be a single-shot solution to resolve India's adult
illiteracy problem, but the innovative computer-based functional
literacy (CBFL) programme initiated by the Tata Group has
the potential to do just that.
The programme
has been developed by Tata Consultancy Services, Asia's largest
software enterprise, and it operates under the aegis of the
Tata Council for Community Initiatives. The CBFL project uses
a mix of methods to teach an uneducated person to read in
a fraction of the time it takes to do this by conventional
means. They are:
- teaching
software
- multimedia
presentations
- printed
material
The project
employs animated graphics and a voiceover to explain how individual
alphabets combine to give structure and meaning to various
words. The TCS course, which uses puppets as the motif in
the teaching process, has been designed from material developed
by the National Literacy Mission, established by the Indian
government in 1988 with the aim of eradicating adult illiteracy
in the country. The mission's lessons, outstandingly researched
and formulated, are tailored to fit different languages and
even dialects.
Missing
the mark
It's not just the CBFL project's components that are unique,
it's also the thinking behind it. Standard adult-literacy
projects teach reading, writing and arithmetic. They require
trained teachers and classrooms, and anywhere between six
months to two years to complete. The costs are high. These
programmes have failed because of the lack of trained teachers
and the inability of poor people to spare the time to attend
class for such a prolonged period.
The TCS
programme focuses exclusively on reading, while drastically
reducing the time it takes an uneducated person to achieve
the objective. It teaches a person to read within a span of
30 to 45 hours spread over 10 to 12 weeks. The emphasis is
on words rather than alphabets, and the process is styled
to suit the learner.
Because
the programme is multimedia-driven, it does not need trained
teachers. This also means a reduction in the cost of eradicating
illiteracy.
The
results
Those coming through the programme can acquire
a 300-500 word vocabulary in their own languages and dialects.
This is enough for everyday requirements, such as reading
destination signs on buses, straightforward documents and
even newspapers. And it sets these people on the path to acquiring
the other literacy skills, including writing and arithmetic
ability.
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