VITALISING
ADULT CONTINUING EDUCATION IN
THE
NEW MILLENNIUM – TASKS AHEAD
S. V. Raghunath
Education is a process of imparting knowledge and skills to enable the individual to live with dignity and honour. The crux of education is to know what is not known. Programmes for educating the non-literate adults in the age group of 15-35 were initiated with a view to empowering the common man and enabling him to have access to the opportunity structure created by the state as far back as 1968 with the launching of ‘Farmer’s Functional Literacy’. This was the first major initiative of the Government of India implemented through the State Governments, and reputed voluntary organisations in the country. It was in the year 1977 backed by political will of the nation, the National Adult Education Programme was launched to make the illiterate adults in the country functionally literate. Subsequently the Prime Minister’s 20 Point Programme, National Educational Policy 1986 and Programme of Action 1992, National Literacy Mission(1988), Total Literacy Campaign, Sarvashiksha Abhiyan were initiated from time to time in place of the earlier ones so as to suit the declared policies of the political party that came to power in later years.
The objectives of adult education programmes include literacy, functionality, awareness, numeracy, capacity building for ensuring quality implementation of the programmes initiated by the developmental departments. It enables the masses to take active part as equal partners in the democratic set up to work for the progress of the country in realising the avowed objective of transforming the country into a developed nation.
While it is necessary to continue literacy programmes for non-literates, education of the semi-literates the newly educated should also receive equal emphasis in the twenty-first-century. Updating of professional knowledge, citizenship education, health education, empowerment of women, adult education in the new economic policy, research in adult education should receive top priority.
In order to realise the objectives of planned development, the programme of adult education in the twenty-first-century needs to be diversified and comprehensive in nature. Adult education should enable the community as a whole through the process of social change and increased self-confidence to effectively participate in national developlnent ensuring social justice and allround economic development.
It is therefore necessary that the programme should consist of variety of need-based programmes and meet specific needs of different groups of learners. It is to be perceived as a programme of life-long education as the needs of learning continue to change and expand over a period due to changing socio-political, economic and demographic scenario and improve the quality of life of the people.
Some of the programmes/priorities envisaged for adult education in the new millennium are stated below.
Role of Local Bodies in Administration: The literacy programme needs to be decentralised to give desired results as visualised by the National Policy of Education-1986. The policy emphasised the need to decentralise planning and administration process from district to village level. To make decentralisation possible, the state governments have to play an active role in the process. The programme of adult education should not be seen solely as a centrally sponsored programme. It would be ideal if democratically elected Panchayat Raj institutions are actively involved in this programme. The Panchayats could be given total responsibility to eradicate illiteracy in the area in which they function. But to achieve this objective, the Panchayats have to be provided with necessary academic and technical support, funds and facilities. The smaller the area, the greater would be the scope for people’s participation. When an area is small the programme tends to be more effective and transparent.
With the
limited resources available at the disposal of the Government, it is desirable
that village school be made the centre of activity, a fulcrum for both formal and non formal/adult education. The
school should become a community centre, with an objective to improve
the community life. It should address the needs of the people such as welfare,
their economic development, recreation, vocational education etc., an adult
education teacher may be made responsible to take care of education of both
out-ofschool children and non-literate adults.
Continuing education programmes may be
planned to achieve the following learning experiences; to learn and understand
new and viable occupations as present skills for jobs become technologically
obsolete. The knowledge explosion changes the volume and content of knowledge
so fast that one’s knowledge acquired earlier tends to be incomplete and
obsolete, unless it is continuously augmented, revised and updated. In
progressive, competitive societies, continuous updating and replenishment of knowledge
is a necessary condition of survival and perpetual personal development so that
every individual may further his intellectual and emotional growth throughout
his life.
Human Rights: The first basic human
right to equality is denied by our society. Adult education has to play an
important role to address this denial not only of the learners who are the
victims but also those who violate this human right. The study and
understanding of the 30 articles of human rights will bring home the fact that
these articles are being violated every minute of the day.
Impact of Globalisation: In the new economic policy, structural adjustments are being made. This has put many people out of jobs due to modernisation and automation. Adult Education has now to play a wider role to meet the emerging demand for education, training and retraining of people so that they are in a position to face the competitive labour market.
Unemployed and under employed especially those in the rural sector constitute the largest group among the weaker sections of the society. Adult education should provide skill development and income generating programmes for them. This would be possible if the network of Jana Sikshana Sansthans is expanded and there is a JSS at every Mandal/Block. Skill development programmes entrepreneurial skills have to be provided to the rural masses so that they would opt for self employment instead of migrating to urban centres hunting for jobs, which is becoming a great health hazard and an environmental problem to the society. The workers in the unorganised sector in the urban areas should also be provided with opportunities in training and upgrading their technical and vocational skills to improve their quality of life. They should be educated to understand that they should protect themselves from undue exploitation by vested interests. They should be helped to become self-reliant and competent to solve their own problems.
Role of the Government Departments: The
responsibility for control and administration of adult education by and large
remains with the Education Department of the Ministry of Human Resource
Development. To give adult education a wider role, the other ministries should
also share the responsibility. In Thailand most ministries have
responsibilities for atleast one component of adult education.
Research should be conducted at all levels. It should not be the responsibility of the universities alone. Grass root level organisations should also undertake applied and action researches for which they should be provided with necessary training and financial assistance.