Introduction

The Centre for Adult Education and Lifelong Learning (CAELL), Diamond Harbour Women’s University began its journey from early 2023 with the thrust of the Centre as the expansion of the another dimension of higher education by Community Engagement and Services to the regional need of adult education and lifelong learning as well as taking up several educational extension and outreach activities by the students and some faculty members apart from traditional academic programmes of the University.

Aims and Objectives of the Centre:

The CAELL of this University aims to extend helping- hands and institutional resources to the community by providing educational options to those adults, who have lost the opportunity and have crossed the age of formal education, but now feel a need for learning of any type, including Foundational Literacy, Numeracy, Basic Education equivalency. The Objective is to encourage the students to be involved as Volunteer Teachers for imparting education to the non-literate community.

Target Learners:

In the local rural areas, the literacy rate is below the desired rate among the farmers, daily wage earners, school dropouts and in particular women and weaker section. There is still a gender disparity in literacy among rural women and girl children. Our target group will be the girl child 15 years or above, non-literate house-wives or working women to impart foundational literacy and numeracy to serve as the basic education equivalency. We are targeting only women learners. Mothers nurture and mould the developing minds of their children, and if one educates the mother, one ensures that the child will also be educated. Also, this being a women’s university, if we approach women learners, the approach will be simpler and smoother.

Outcome of the Programmes:

To increase the literacy rate and to create an ambience for a learning knowledge society through lifelong learning. This will help the new generation students by inducing into them a socio-economic bondage with the society, and would lead to the wellbeing of the community and vice-versa. This in turn, will be promoted for making the University system truly meaningful in the present Indian scenario.

With the Vision of Govt. of India:

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has recommended a strong and innovative initiative for adult education in particular, to facilitate community involvement and beneficial integration of technology with the aim of achieving 100% literacy. Recently, the New India Literacy Programme (NILP) (2022-27) has been implemented by the Government of India in alignment with the recommendations of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The scheme is targeted to all non-literate citizens of 15 years and above group in our country.
The vision of this Centre is to reach out to the larger section of the local non-literate community, mainly girl children/women of age 15 years and above, through imparting foundational literacy and numeracy education as per recommendation of the New India Literacy Programme (NILP) with fulfilling the motto of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 of the Government.

Curricular Component of CAELL:

The curricular component of the Centre for Adult Education of Lifelong Learning is to involve students as volunteer teachers for imparting adult education/literacy initiatives and lifelong learning programs to the local community. This program is a part of the course curriculum ‘Community Engagement and Service’ as per NEP-2020/NILP. Students may opt for this adult education program to teach 4-5 non-literate girl children/women of age 15 years and above, in pre-scheduled semesters.

Evaluation and Assessments:

Evaluation and Assessments: At the end of the semester, an evaluation will be executed and a report will have to be submitted by the students. A recognition through credit points/ certificate will be given to the students. Learners will also get certificates after evaluation.

Year-long Services and Additional Supports:

Addition support of the teams - National Service Scheme (NSS), National Cadet Corps (NCC) of the University will strengthen the centre’s activities. Apart from the course curriculum, the students, non-teaching staff and faculty members of this university will be engaged in year-long continuous education/literacy programs, field based community-engaged services and activities.

Public Awareness:

Lectures by expert resource persons, seminar and conferences, video shows need to be arranged to increase the awareness among the locals.

Future Plan:

This Centre will extend its activities to support educational initiatives of the Governments of India and West Bengal. The centre may collaborate with other Indian Universities, Government organisations and NGO’s for collaborative work and financial assistance.

Email Id: The dedicated Email ID for CAELL is caell@dhwu.ac.in

Chief Advisor: The Hon’ble Vice Chancellor, Prof. Kajal De
Director: Prof. Tapas Kr. Ghosh, Department of Physics
Joint Director: Dr. Amalendu Paul, Department of Education
Convenor: The Dean of Students’ Welfare, Dr. Tania Chakravertty
Treasurer: Dr. Soumi Tikader, Department of Mathematics
Member: Dr. Sushmita Bhowmik, Department of Philosophy
Member: Dr. Tanmoy Chattopadhyay, Department of Chemistry
Member: Shri Kumaraditya Sarkar, Department of English.