Adult Education and Female Literacy in Manipur

In Manipur, though the significant and positive role of adult education in development has been highlighted by various educationists, researchers, Non-Government Organizations and social leaders, a large number of adults are still illiterate and they seem to be living in a poor socio-economic condition. Adult Education programmes have been taken up in Manipur from 1960s. The programmes of Adult Education are taken up in different Blocks of Manipur as the social Education programme which gives stress on literacy, numeracy, agriculture, extension and animal husbandry, training in citizenship and youth welfare programme. From a survey of the existing Adult Education Centres in different districts of Manipur, it transpires that Adult Education programme in Manipur is being implemented very unsatisfactorily. Mere display of the enrolment figures of the Adult learners and financial expenditure on the Adult education Projects, does not employ production of literate adults and progress of the Adult Education programme in Manipur. Thereafter, there was appreciable progress under various programmes of Total Literacy Campaign (TLC), Post Literacy Programmes (PLP) and Continuing Education Programme (CEP) during Ninth & Tenth Five Year Plans period. Despite significant achievement of the Mission, illiteracy continues to be an area of National concerns as per 2001 census which had revealed that there were still thousands of illiterate adults (in age group of 15+) in the state.