THE PRACTICAL PERSPECTIVE OF ADULT EDUCATION:Problems of Adult Literacy, Strategies for Educating Adults for the Future

<< ADULT EDUCATION:Lifelong learning

TECHNICAL & VOCATIONAL EDUCATION:VET Internationally, Technical Schools >>

Human Resource Development (HRM-627)

Lesson 28

THE PRACTICAL PERSPECTIVE OF ADULT EDUCATION

Adult Education is fraught with problems and difficulties but before discussing them, it will be worthwhile to

note the current status of Adult Education in the world.

Current Status of Adult Education

· There are 950 million illiterate adults in the world

· Out of these 600 million are women

· Over a third of world's illiterate are in South Asia and another large number in sub-Saharan Africa

· According to UNESCO 75% of the world's illiterate live in only 9 countries including India, China,

Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Indonesia, Iran and Brazil

We now turn to the problems inherent in the issue of Adult Education.

Problems of Adult Literacy

· The major problem has been in motivating the learners to learn.

· The poor and the hungry are more interested in food and shelter rather than on becoming literate.

· It can at best be a leisure time activity if it provides entertainment.

· Community pressure and incentives can help in developing a serious attitude in the illiterate towards

literacy.

· Governments of developing countries cannot provide any incentive apart from offering free education

facilities and that too with the use of some volunteers, mostly from the local areas.

· Providing education that is perceived as having immediate use is another incentive.

Adult Education Issues in Industrialized Countries

· Institute for International Cooperation of the German Adult Education Association, suggests that

adult education in Europe will have to prepare people to face dilemmas associated with European

integration.

· Demand for adult education in these countries is increasing, in Canada 1 adult in 5 followed adult

education program in 1983 as opposed to 1 in 14 in 1969.

· In Sweden, 1 in every 2 adults is taking part in adult education programs.

· Demand for work-related adult education seems to be widespread.

· Countries like UK, Australia, Austria, Canada, France, Holland and Germany and USA have

acknowledged that a significant percentage of adult population is unable to read and write sufficiently

well to communicate or participate in retraining activities.

Following are some of the methods used to approach Adult Education.

Methods and Approaches to Educating Adults

Four strategies are generally used

1. The Fundamental Education Approach or general literacy approach

2. The Selective Intensive Functional approach or functional literacy

3. The Conscientisation Approach

4. The Mass Campaign Approach

We will consider each approach in some detail.

The Fundamental Education Approach

· Promoted by UNESCO and was largely followed in the 1950s and 1960s

· It emphasized teaching, reading and writing in the mother tongue of the learner

· The target groups were unspecified

· The program aimed at people with low motivation and follow-up literacy was neglected

· This strategy failed to reduce illiteracy in any evident manner

Human Resource Development (HRM-627)

The Selective Intensive Approach

· UNESCO and UNDP used this approach in 11 countries (Algeria, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Guinea, India,

Iran, Madagascar, Mali, Sudan, Syria and Tanzania).

· Objectives were to test and demonstrate the economic and social returns of literacy and the

relationship between literacy and training.

· Under this approach, target groups of illiterate people working within a specific economic activity in a

specific region were selected.

· Improved vocational skills and work-oriented literacy were also provided.

· The approach however had limited impact; major drawback was that literacy was viewed as a technical

exercise without regard to social, cultural and political factors.

It is useless to teach a farmer to increase productivity if the greater part of the fruit of this

labor goes to landlord.

The Conscientisation Approach

· This approach aims at making it possible for the oppressed illiterate to become aware that they can

change their own situation.

· This is done through a process of critical reflection that leads to action and change.

· Education is seen as an element in the necessary process of human liberation.

· Dialogue and participation are the key elements in liberating education.

· The culture, the living conditions, the awareness, the language and vocabulary used all are understood

and incorporated in this approach.

· Many NGOs all over the world are using this approach to adult education.

The Mass Campaign Approach

· Articulation of the national political will

· Development of a comprehensive policy making and legal organ

· Study and diagnosis of preconditions

· General mobilization of the public

· Establishment of structures of mass participation

· Development of inter ministerial and inter agency structures

· Implementation of developmental and instructional plan

· Evaluation of context, process and results

· Design and establishment of post literacy programs

Strategies for Educating Adults for the Future

1. A well articulated strategy based on the country's philosophy and approach to adult education is the

first step.

2. Encourage a variety of methodologies and initiatives at local level.

3. Use NGOs to build on the strengths achieved due to literacy programs.

4. Greater integration of all development activities into adult education programs.

Table of Contents: