Most people can't use literacy skills for improving living conditions: Study

"Only 10 per cent people find their literacy skills useful in collecting relevant information for a better living," said a recent study of Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE), a coalition of leading NGOs working for the promotion of literacy.

The study, titled 'Education watch 2002: Need for a new vision,' found 73.3 per cent people seeking improved literacy training for occupational skill development and better earning.

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The CAMPE study, the fourth in the series of Education Watch, is based on a countrywide survey to assess the state of literacy in the country, administering a literacy skill test and recording their opinions and demands.

The highest 61.8 per cent respondents said they found their literacy skills useful for communication with others and reading documents, 59.6 per cent said they use their skills to help children in study, 46.5 per cent use it only to read newspapers and book and 43.4 per cent use it in professions and workplaces.

Of the 13,145 people of different age and gender groups surveyed under the study, 49.3 per cent did poorly in the literacy test receiving less than a quarter of the total score and were categorised as non-literate.

Twenty one per cent of the respondents scored at the level of "initial literacy skills" and 20.4 per cent had scores to be place in the level of "advanced literacy skills."

"The state of literacy in the county is a strong indictment of the poor quality of primary education and schooling in general. Major improvements in primary education is essential to make progress in literacy," the study said.

It also underlined the need for post-literacy training for providing income generation skills in view of the opinion of people surveyed under the study.

"A strong demand exists for post-literacy training for income generating skills, but no model exists for meeting this demand successfully on a large scale," it said.