The literacy rate is 95.31 percent among the age group of 15-60 years in the district, claimed Minister Basnet during the program. Jajarkot is the sixth district to be declared "literate district" in Mid-western Region and the second in Bheri Zone."This is the result of hard work of teachers and students. They have given desired result as per the investment of the government," said the minister.
Basnet added that the School Management Committee, teachers and everyone involved in educational field had worked sincerely, which is why the district was announced as a literal district. During the program, member of Non-formal Education Center Dibakar Dhungel and Rita Rawal said that this declaration adds responsibility to the communities of the district.
It was planned since April of last year to declare the district as a literate district. "About 43,000 uneducated have turned literate in the past few years," informed District Education Officer Lalit Bikram Singh.
Singh said that those who can read national language, understand the main point of Nepali writing, who are able to use mobile and calculator, can read and write name and age of the members of their family, can read symbols and signs, read traffic signs, perform normal calculations, and use bank checks are said to be literate.
However, some stakeholders have criticized the act by saying that the declaration was done in rush just to make foreign donors happy.
"The budget for literate declaration has been misused and done in a rush. We are still not eligible to be declared as a literate district," said Dependra Sharma, member of the establishment committee of Ram Janaki Primary School in Khalanga.
Similarly, Dinesh Shrestha informed that although it has been formally announced that Jajarkot is a literate district, it isn't true. There are no regular classes in schools and many problems are seen in the schools.
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