Sikkim to attain 100 per cent literacy rate by 2015

Gangtok, Oct 16 (UNI) Sikkim Education Minister G M Gurung today said the state will attain 100 per cent literacy by 2015.

''Despite the state entered late into the education sector, it has already achieved 85 per cent literacy rate,'' he said during the inaugural session of an IGNOU workshop here.

The three-day workshop on 'Self Learning Material Development in Northeast Region' is being held here with representatives from all IGNOU centres participating in it.

Mr Gurung also sought IGNOU's support in the government's literacy mission. The state Human Resource Development department would also collaborate with IGNOU for a beneficial partnership in this regard, he observed.

A census would be conducted by the government to find out the number of school dropouts in rural areas, the minister said adding that such students could be encouraged towards completing their education by IGNOU upto graduate and post graduate levels.

The government annually earmarks 20 per cent of its annual budget towards education sector.

UNI