The government has rescheduled the literacy campaign to begin from January 14 following budget crunch. The campaign has been rescheduled to start from February 12.

According to the officials at the Non Formal Education Center (NFEC), preparations for the campaign could not be completed due to the lack of budget.

The NFEC director Baburam Poudel said the center needs Rs 1.38 billon to run the program in the current fiscal year. However, the government has allocated only Rs 400 million until now.

The three-year campaign, from 2013 to 2015, had a target to produce 1.3 million literates per year in a bid to cover 4 million people above 15 years of age who are said to be illiterate. The NFEC deputy director Gopal Bhattarai said that the target to produce 1.3 million literates was reduced to 1.1 million due to the lack of budget for the campaign.

Officials have said that around 1.1 million would be able to read, write, use mobile phone, calculator and deal with banking business after receiving a three-month training.

The campaign would officially begin from February 12 with an appeal from Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai to the public to participate in the crusade against illiteracy.

The government hopes to involve around 500,000 volunteers for the campaign through around 36,000 education centers across the country in the first year.
An orientation session will be held by the center on January 26 and 27 for District Education Officers, observers and officials of local bodies who are expected to lead the campaign forward.

The NFEC is also revising the Naya Goreto, a textbook for non-formal education, as per the suggestion from various stakeholders. The textbook includes knowledge such as how to use mobile and calculators, said the NFEC director Baburam Poudel.

For the effectiveness of the literacy campaign, the book is published in 14 languages such as Nepali, Maithili, Bhojpuri, Tharu, Newari, Tamang, Gurung, Magar, Kirat and Sherpa, among others.

The campaign aims to involve students, teachers and government employees. To increase student participation, the government is planning to include project work carrying five marks for students from grade six to 10.

source: republica,22 jan 2013