PM calls for crash programme to increase literacy

Hisar, May 19 (UNI) Expressing concern over the slow growth of literacy in the country, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today stressed the need for a crash programme to increase literacy to over 80 per cent for all regions in the country.

''I am also concerned about the poor functioning of our government schools, especially in rural areas. There is a belief that the quality gap between public schools and private schools is increasing. I believe that a greater effort is required to bridge this quality gap," Dr Singh said while dedicating the world's largest EDUSAT (Satellite Education) network at villag Khader in Hisar district.

The network was aimed at covering 11,000 educational institutions and 16 lakh children in Haryana shortly.

The Prime Minister, on the request of Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, also approved two more channels for this programme and with their becoming functional, the total number of channels of EDUSAT will become seven.

These two additional channels will cover middle and high schools in the State.

The Prime Minister said the EDUSAT programme could be an important tool for improving science education in schools and appreciated Haryana in making long strides in all spheres of development.

He pointed out that numeracy skills and scientific knoweledge were the key to success in the knowledge economy and the EDUSAT programme could be an important tool for improving science education in schools.

He hoped that these objectives would be addressed and served by the EDUSAT programme.

MORE UNI