State Resource Centre for Adult Education, Rayagada conducted assessment tests for neo-literates in five gram panchayats, such as Baligaon and Pitaguda of Koraput district, Bilabadi of Kandhamal district and Barida (A) and Kesaripada of Ganjam.
All these panchayats come under Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana(SAGY). Around 1,281 learners went through a simplified assessment process out of which around 60 per cent were women.
Under the Saakshar Bharat Programme, a flagship scheme of Government of India, voluntary teachers of the panchayats were able to boost the interest of the adult learners and keep them engaged in a sustained basis as far as reading and writing skills are concerned.
The centres dazzled with the learners during the evening as almost all the learners came from labour class. Conducive environment building and thematic workshops at regular intervals kept the interest of the learners sustained throughout.
District Education Officers (DEOs) of the respective districts and their staff members mobilised and motivated the learners during the entire period of learning. local Self Help Groups (SHGs), Yubak Sanghas and the PRIs played a nurturing role. National Institute of Open Schooling(NIOS) expressed keen interest to admit those students for higher studies after graduating from these adult learning centres.