Literacy and level of education are basic indicators of the level of development achieved by a society. Spread of literacy is generally associated with important traits of modern civilization such as modernization, urbanization, industrialization, communication and commerce. Higher levels of education and literacy lead to a greater awareness and also contribute in improvement of economic and social conditions. It acts as a catalyst for social upliftment enhancing the returns on investment made in almost every aspect of development effort, be it population control, health, hygiene, environmental degradation control or employment of weaker sections of the society.
Bachelor Preparatory Programme
Based on the very philosophy of community college system an initiative has been taken up keeping in view the requirement of local community, poor farmers, women and large numbers of tribal population of the area, a concept like Bachelor Preparatory Programme was started at CIRC Sonapur. It is a programme, which mainly targets the deprived section of people who are not able to continue their study but wish to get a degree. Generally 10+2 pass students are qualified to take admission into degree courses but to give opportunities to those people who could not pass 10+2, universities a non-conventional stream of education named BPP (Bachelor Preparatory Programme) was introduced. It is a one-year programme and people who successfully complete this programme can take admission to any degree programme.
Key component of conventional distance education organizations has been the network of local study centres, set up to serve as a bridge between students and the educational organization. Through the Bachelor Preparatory Programme Sonapur CIRC in collaboration with KKHSOU is taking great initiative to impart education to the people of Dimoria Block. Adequate and sensitive educational efforts were made to mobilize indigenous people, especially women to involve them in educational process. Because of the flexibility in terms of pace and place of learning, CIRC holds the promise of providing equality of opportunities for higher education for all irrespective of caste and age and bringing into its fold the deprived and denied sections along with the fresh learners. In result of all these, CIRCs were able to successfully enroll 72 students in this session.
Through this programme many indigenous as well as general people of Sonapur get benefited. The module includes numeracy, research, literature, and other such skills that offer an introduction to the culture of college to people. They gain confidence to match the standards of college education. It also becomes a hope for many housewives, illiterate women who spent her entire life making a good home. As the programme has no age boundary and flexibility they can get enrolled in the programme and get the best of the knowledge and make them empowered.