Attappady tribals on literacy path; over 2500 pass exam

Over 2,500 tribals of Attappady region, one of the most backward settlements of Kerala, have passed the literacy examination conducted by the state government with an aim to bring the marginalised to the forefront of the society.

As many as 1,975 women were among the total 2,553 people who passed the literacy-cum-equivalency exam of the Kerala State Literacy Mission (KSLM) there, official sources said.

Eighty eight year-old Pappa was the oldest among the total 2,624 leo-literates who had taken up the test held at three village panchayats in Attappady in northern Palakkad district recently.

The Literacy Mission had recently rolled out three literacy-cum-equivalency programmes in tribal belts across the state, especially in Wayanad and Attappady regions, with focus not just on literacy but also on social security of the inhabitants.

The 100-mark exam had three parts-reading, writing and mathematics.

The minimum pass mark is 30.

The new textbooks, based on which the exam was conducted, had lessons on forest and environment conservation, sanitation and issues related to the lifestyle of tribals.

As many as 1,117 people had already passed the literacy examination in Attappady in the initial phase of the drive.

Literacy Mission Director, P S Sreekala said the literacy drive was being carried out with the support of specially recruited instructors.

"Of the total 275 instructors deployed to implement the programme, 218 are tribals. Most of them are women. The participation of tribals as instructors is one of the reasons for the success of this special drive," she said.

Attappady, home to 32,956 tribals, is one of the largest and the most backward region of the state.