Cartoonopedia: A Wit-and-Wisdom Dictionary

Text and drawings by Joe Mannath SDB

2. ABCD Can you read these letters? And recognize them as the first letters of the alphabet? Of course! It means you are literate, that your parents sent you to school, that you had teachers and text-books and notebooks and what not. It also means you are gifted with eye sight. Reading a magazine means you are able to buy it, or you belong to a group that subscribes to this magazine. All this is good, and as it should be. When you read, do you at least now and then think of those who have had no opportunities to learn to read or go to school, or of school children whose parents are illiterate, and hence help them with home work, nor even read the teachers report? Will your education benefit also them? Or will you hoard it as a private privilege to climb over others? Is education everyones basic right, or the privilege of some? A Salesian school in Central India was attacked. The rector had to be physically rescued. The next rector made friends with the parents and neighbours, including those who are against Christians. He asked one of them: You say you are against us because of conversions. But your own chi ldren are in our school. You know that we respect all faiths. The parents reply: I am talking now a s a friend, not as a politician. We are against you not because of conversion, but because you educate the tribals. Education empowers. Those who prevent the education of the poor know it only too well. People will then move from semi-slavery to dignity, upward mobility and true freedom. This is something that many powerful peoplewhatever their political partydo not want. No illiterate country is prosperous. No fully literate country is poor. Parts of India where literacy is higher, e.g., Kerala, have much better health indices than other states. We can do much in this area, if we want. I know colleges (e.g., Sacred Heart College, Tirupattur) where the majority of the students have been first generation learners. If we, individually and institutionally, do not empower the least, in whose service do we invest our personnel, long training, good buildings, lovely compounds and money? As an ex-religious once asked me: What is your celibacy and religious life in the service of? To improve the opportunities of those who already have much, or to empower the deprived? There are great success stories we can be proud of and learn from. Literacy in India grew from 12% at the end of British rule, to 74% in 2011 (82% for me and 65% for women). But this is still below the world average of 84%, and lower than three of our neighbours (China 93%, Sri Lanka 91%, Myanmar 90%). The reasons for this somewhat poor performance (and the high rate of drop-outs, especially of girls) are known: Poor infrastructure, lack of toilets, lack of drinking water, absence of teachers, poverty, caste discrimination. Fewer than half the students who join primary school complete the VIII standard. This is a sorry state of affairs, for a country that boasts of so many things. India has the largest number of illiterates in the world. Statewise disparities are evident, with striking differences in other fields: Kerala, with 94% literacy, has a life-span of 72 years for males and 75 for females, while Bihar, 64% literate, has a life expectancy of 66

and 65 years. Infant mortality: Kerala, 10 for 1000 births; Bihar, 61. Two states that have done outstandingly well are Himachal Pradesh and Mizoram. Try answering these questions: The two most literate districts in India are: ......................... and ......................... They are found in...................... (name of the state). Answers: Serchhip and Aizawl districts,both in Mizoram. Surprised? This shows what committed action can do. A government initiative that has helped millions of school children is the mid-day meal scheme, first launched in Tamilnadu, and then taken up by some others states. Right now, India has the largest meal scheme for school children in the world, reaching 120 million students. Individual initiatives include work of persons like Shantha Sinha in Andhra Pradesh (Magsaysay Award in 2003) who did much to fight child labour and send children to school. REFLECT: Do I see my education simply as fact, or a privilege and obligation? Do I want others to come up? If religious or priests: what is my life/ministry/celibacy in service of: to improve the chances of those who have much or to empower the disabled? Are you convinced that every human being has a right to education? How many illiterates or drop-outs will you empower? DO: Here are things we can do, if we have the good will: (1) A school can easily have an evening school where the poorest children of the neighbourhood come to study, get free coaching, and learn other things. Many Salesian schools and others run such coaching schools. We see remarkable improvement in these poor children. (2) Families that employ maids and other servants (a typical I ndian reality!) should help them finish school, or to become literate. I know people who make sure young workers get time to study and coach them before exams. (3) Get your students to teach poorer children, especially those attending government schools where the teaching is often neglected. (4) Religious and priests: work by preference in poorer areas where there are more illiterates and drop-outs. (5) Give preferential admission in schools and colleges to children of illiterate parents. (6) Help employees to finish school or to do college privately. (7) Provide meals for poorer students and snacks for those who come for night schools. People are ready to sponsor such initiatives if they see that the poor are really helped.