Kerala has become the first Indian state to achieve 100 per cent primary education.
Declaration to this effect was made by the Vice President Hamid Ansari during his speech at special ceremony organised at Thiruvananthapuram.
Kerala state was able to achieve 100 per cent primary education through its flagship primary education equivalency drive Athulyam Scheme.
About Athulyam Scheme
- The programme was meant to provide primary school education to people aged between 15 and 50. It was launched in March 2013 and was carried out in two phases.
- The state level literacy mission aimed at educating those who had been unable to complete their primary education up to fourth standard.
- The mission mainly focused on deprived sections viz. the scheduled caste, scheduled tribe, physically, financially weak and mentally disabled among others.
- The second stage of the scheme was Mission 676 that also aimed at targeting those who had dropped out of the formal education process.
Prior Athulyam Scheme, Kerala state government had launched fourth standard equivalency programme in 2000 in association with local bodies. Under this programme Kannur district of state became the first district to achieve 100 per cent primary education in the country in 2001.