Literacy Profile of Mawten Village in South West Khasi Hills District Meghalaya: A Case Study

Literacy Profile of Mawten Village in South West Khasi Hills District Meghalaya: A Case Study

Christina L. Murray, Banlumlang Lyngkhoi* Research Scholar

Abstract

This article stresses on literacy profile with regards to the opinion of the people towards literacy. A community with more literate persons is considered to be prudently more advanced than their illiterate counterparts.

Introduction

Literacy is one of the important components of education. As observed in Literacy for life. EFA Global Monitoring Report, 2006, UNESCO Literacy is a right and the foundations for all further learning literacy gives people the tools, knowledge and confidence to improve their livelihoods, to participate more actively in their societies and to make informed choices. In todays knowledge economies, literacy skills are more vital than ever. According to Dakar Framework for Action and the 2002 UN General Assembly Resolution on the United Nations Literacy Decade, 2003-2012, literacy is the heart of life -long learning. It is crucial to the acquisition, by every child, youth and adult, of essential life skills that enable them to address the challenges they face in life.

While the importance of literacy and education in the social, cultural and political mobilization need not be over emphasized, it may be interesting to analyze the trend in the growth of literate and educated persons in Mawten village of Mawkyrwat area dominated only by the indigenous tribe of Meghalaya that is, Khasi tribe and there is no other tribe present in Mawten.

Objectives:

1. To survey the population of Mawten Village.

2. To determine the present educational status in Mawten Village.

3. To analyse the opinion of the people towards education.

4. To identify the problems of education.

Methodology:

The investigators followed the survey method for the present study. Random Sampling method was utilized and thus, 30 houses from the village formed the sample.

Tools and Techniques:

In the present study, the investigators constructed questionnaire in the form of open ended and close ended questions to collect the necessary data.

Analysis and Interpretations:

This paper deals with the analysis and interpretation of the data collected from the different sources of the village.

Headman

On the open ended and close ended questions given to the headman it shows that the total population of Mawten village is about 2300 as on the year 2011 records. The total males and females population is 1050 and 1250 respectively. It was also found that the headman recommended that there are some facilities provided for education in the village.

In the village there are 7 schools, 2 upper primary schools attached with primary and 2 Secondary schools attached with primary schools. The schools in the village got some help from the SSA Scheme like mid-day meal, water supply, utensils etc. and each student gets 3 kg of rice a month.

Table 1. Percentage of the respondents from 30 houses

From the above table it was found that 52% are males and 48% are females and it indicates that from these 30 houses, there are more males than female children who studied.

Table 2. Significance of education for children

The study observed that 74% of the respondents felt that good education for their children is necessary and 16% felt that education is necessary if the children wanted to educate themselves and 10% of the respondents showed that education is necessary for children but they cannot afford it due to poverty.

Table 4. Financial constraint to educate children.

From table 4 it was found that 50% of the respondents expressed that they don't have any financial constraint to educate their children, whereas 50% of the respondents expressed that they have a financial constraint in educating their children.

Table 5. Percentage of works that gets affected by educating the children

From table 5 it was found that 67% of the childrens parents expressed their views that their works were not affected at all by sending their children to schools and 33% found that their works were partially affected if their children went to schools.

Table 6. Percentage of parents wanting the children to drop out for helping their daily works.

It also indicates that 90% of the respondents felt that they do not want their children to drop out from their studies and only 10% of the respondents felt that they want their children to help them in their daily works.

Table 7. Problems of education in the village

In table 7 it indicates that 47% of the respondents expressed that they have problems in educating their children in the village and the reasons are due to the poor infrastructures in the schools and also the financial assistance from the government is too less. Moreover, many of the villagers are poor. So, it is difficult to educate their children to higher classes and at present the school fees and books become very expensive. Even then 53% of the respondents felt that they don't have any problems for their own children to educate them in any level of education. .

Table 9. Literacy rate in the village

The table above showed that 40% of the respondents expressed that the population in the village are illiterate and about 60% of the respondents felt that they are literate.

Table 11. Opinion of others towards education

From the above table, it shows that 63% of the respondents expressed many opinions besides better education, free education and encourage the parents for educating their children. 10% of them felt that free education is needed, 13% felt to improve for better education, 6% felt that encouraging parents is important and 8% do not have any response at all.

Table 12. Problems faced by the children in the educational programs in the village.

The table above revealed a mixed response from the respondents in connection with the childrens problems in schools. 37% expressed that because of lack of discipline in schools, 30% felt because of poor teaching, 13% felt that because of no trained teacher and 10% of them felt that because of congested class rooms. Few of the respondents which constituted about 10% of them felt that the teaching methods in the school are good and satisfactory.

Table 13. Suggestion towards education in the village.

The suggestions given by the respondents towards improving education in the village are a mixed response. 43% of the respondents felt that they have many more suggestions besides the suggestions listed above, 18% of them felt that they need awareness programs for improving education in the village, 13% of them expressed that they need a free education and the school building needs to improve, 10% of them felt that discipline is very important in the schools for improving the quality of education in the village and only 3% felt that they do not have any suggestions since the education system in the village is already good.

References:

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