KATHMANDU, Jan 5: The government has prepared textbooks for the non-formal education program that will be launched on January 14 in 14 languages.
According to officials at Non-formal Education Campaign (NFEC), the course have been prepared in Nepali, Maithili, Bhojpuri, Tharu, Newari, Tamang, Gurung, Magar, Kirat and Sherpa languages, among others.
“Naya Goreto, the textbook for the non-formal education revised as per the suggestions from various stakeholders also includes useful tips on operating mobile phones and calculators,” said NFEC director Baburam Poudel.
The NFEC experts´ team that visited various parts of the country last year found that most of the participants who were enrolled in the non-formal education classes were unable to go through the Naya Goreto book.
“Some complained that they did not understand the language, while others wanted also wanted to learn to operate mobile phones to communicate with their family members in foreign countries, receive remittance and deal with bank accounts,” said Poudel.
The scenario was no different in outskirts of the Kathmandu Valley such as Dhapashi and Dakshinkali area as well, he added.
As earlier announced by the Minister for Education Dina Nath Sharma, the government aims to make around 4 million people above the age of 15 literate in the next three years. Similarly, the government also targets to make all the elderly people able to read and write their names while receiving their social security allowance.
“We aim to achieve total literacy as it is a matter of shame and dishonor that many of our elderly family members are still illiterate while we pretend to be intellectuals,” says Minister Sharma.
The literacy campaign aims to involve students, teachers and government employees. In a bid to increase students´ participation, the Department of Education is planning to incorporate project work in social studies from grade six to 10 that would carry five marks for final exams.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Finance has allocated only one third of the required budget to NFEC. NFEC has received Rs 1.4 billion for the literacy campaign that would cost the government Rs 4 billion.
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