Ernakulam District Literacy Mission to launch three projects

The Ernakulam District Literacy Mission is all set to launch three major literacy projects in the district, targeting migrant workers, new learners of vernacular language, and those belonging to Scheduled Caste (SC) communities.

The projects, which are expected to begin in November, will focus on bringing more people into the fold of literacy, said district project coordinator Tojo Jacob.

The third edition of ‘Pacha Malayalam’, a four-month course aimed at teaching Malayalam to educated professionals, will begin on Sunday (November 1, 2026). As many as 15 students, including two from neighbouring Kottayam district, will begin the course on the day.

The course is designed for non-Malayali professionals who want to learn Malayalam. “Any graduate or someone who has passed Class 12 can join the course. It mainly focusses on equipping students with the language skills required in professional settings. The course also helps employment aspirants. As Malayalam is the administrative language, those who did not study it during their school years find it difficult,” said Mr. Jacob.

The scheme offers two courses, basic and advanced. Only one batch of the advanced course has been conducted in the district.

Along with the Pacha Malayalam course, the other projects to be implemented include ‘Changathi’ and ‘Navachetna’. A literacy programme for members of the SC community, the Navachetna project will be implemented across eight grama panchayats in the district. “We are in the process of selecting the grama panchayats now. The classes will be led by proficient students belonging to the community,” said Mr. Jacob.

The classes will run for six months, following which participants can appear for the Class 4 equivalent examination, he added.

The District Literacy Mission is also in the process of deciding which panchayat will implement the Changathi course, a scheme that focuses on teaching Malayalam to migrant workers.

“Earlier, we launched the project in Perumbavoor. We have covered several residents, although one challenge we face is that they leave their localities in search of jobs, making consistency a concern. We are now focussing on launching the project in other localities that also have a sizeable migrant population,” said Mr. Jacob.