REAL AND IMAGINARY LITERACY

As per the available data the current (2023) literacy rate of India is 77.70% . Among the states Kerala holds the top position with 94%. While going through the ratings of education given by the OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) based on graduation or post graduation or professional courses within the age group between 25 and 64 years among the population the top ten countries with their ratings are given below.

Canada 56.27%

Japan 50.50%

Israel 49.90%

S. Korea 46.86%

UK 45.96%

USA 45.67%

Australia 43.74%

Finland 43.60%

Norway 43.02%

Luxembourg 42.86%

As per the survey by another agency India ranks 72 in the world in education. However  as shown above we rated ourselves high in literacy. Since our own literacy rating is either imaginary or mythical, this cannot be compared with the ratings of advanced countries. We may, therefore, restructure our literacy ratings gradually to much higher level.

At present the standard set for literacy seems to be that of LKg. Every two years we may raise it to the next level, that is, LKg to UKg to Class 1 to 12 and then to graduation. The government of India is requested to look at this matter seriously. 

Many Indian states are below par in standard of education. The reason is simple. Our priority is neither education, economic growth from  the lower level nor the health and living comfort of the people. Our sole aim is politics. Until and unless we throw out politics from our day to day life and make all out efforts to improve the standard of education and apply wider options to bring up the per capita income of 1.5 billion people, India will continue to be projected in the world as a poor country and a country of illiterates.

K V George