What Is Adult Education Really?

ALLOW me a space in your famous newspaper to air a concern about the perception of adult education in Namibia.

To many, adult education is nothing but literacy and remedial education aiming at teaching people how to read and write. The experience of the Department of Adult and Non-Formal Education at the University of Namibia has shown that the effort by the Department to place students for practical attachment in various institutions has been met with resistance from numerous institutions on the grounds that the institutions concerned do not perceive themselves to be engaged in adult educational activities.Managers of those institutions had advised students to check with the Ministry of Education, Directorate of Adult Basic Education.There are two possibly historical reasons as to why many institutions are not aware of the fact that they, too, are engaged in adult educational activities.Firstly, before Independence, very little (if anything) was done in respect to adult education, especially among the indigenous population.Therefore, the majority of the people are unable to identify what adult education entails.Secondly, the Government launched the National Literacy Programme in Namibia (NLPN) in 1992.The NLPN then became the symbol of adult education in the country and was consequently viewed as the sole provider of adult education.The question here is, what really is adult education? Adult education is any learning or training given to an adult person above the age of 16 as long as that learning or training is outside the formal education system.Adult education can be training given to employees on report writing or budgeting; it could be a training given to farmers, taxi drivers, technicians, breastfeeding mothers and many others.It can be training to assist people to set up businesses, farming, water committees.It can be training to assist extensions officers, community liaison officers, gender officials, town clerks, voter education, rescuers, fire brigades or policemen wanting skills in report and statement writing: any education given to an adult outside formal education.As we can see, adult education is not just literacy.It is a diversity of training programmes facilitated by multiple efforts in the society.It cannot be synonymous with the Directorate of Adult Basic Education in the Ministry.The Directorate alone will never be able to provide all the programmes under adult education; other organisations have to be involved.The University of Namibia has two main concerns in relation to the provision of adult education in the country.To encourage all institutions and individuals involved in training adults to continue this important national duty and also to request the institutions concerned to realize that adults learn differently from the way children learn.Therefore, education or training or information given to adults should reflect the methodology associated with helping adults learn.Failure to recognise such a method would result in adults withdrawing from our educational programmes.Withdrawal does not necessarily have to be physical.Withdrawal can be mental too; a person who is no longer able to take in new information, which we may desperately want him/her to learn.The second concern that UNAM has is that Namibian people should view educational programmes as indispensable activities.Namibians should start equating learning with employment.A person who does not study when he/she has a remedy of one kind or the other should be viewed in the same way as an unemployed person who does not look for a job.In ten years to come, firemen, for example, will not only put out fires but would spend time and energy training people to prevent fires.Policemen will be more interested in helping to develop careful drivers than in giving tickets.You can imagine the diversity of learning opportunities required in the country.When these various educational opportunities are provided and participants in the training are treated as adults, then we can say Namibia is involved in adult education.As much as Namibia needs all these types of training for its people, the Government alone cannot provide all the needed training.Individuals and organisations with the capacity and resources to open training courses should do so (in conjunction with the NQA).Employers of all types should start training their employees for a better production.When employers involve their employees in training programmes: they are involved in adult education.The University of Namibia would facilitate and encourage adult education in the country.The Department of Adult and Non-Formal Education offers Diploma courses in Adult and Community education, which comprises of Community education, Needs Assessment, Project Planning, psychology of adult education and all other relevant courses that differentiate between teaching a child and helping an adult to learn.Organidations and individuals can request advice from the Department on the training and handling of adults.L L Shaketange UNAMThe experience of the Department of Adult and Non-Formal Education at the University of Namibia has shown that the effort by the Department to place students for practical attachment in various institutions has been met with resistance from numerous institutions on the grounds that the institutions concerned do not perceive themselves to be engaged in adult educational activities.Managers of those institutions had advised students to check with the Ministry of Education, Directorate of Adult Basic Education.There are two possibly historical reasons as to why many institutions are not aware of the fact that they, too, are engaged in adult educational activities.Firstly, before Independence, very little (if anything) was done in respect to adult education, especially among the indigenous population.Therefore, the majority of the people are unable to identify what adult education entails.Secondly, the Government launched the National Literacy Programme in Namibia (NLPN) in 1992.The NLPN then became the symbol of adult education in the country and was consequently viewed as the sole provider of adult education.The question here is, what really is adult education? Adult education is any learning or training given to an adult person above the age of 16 as long as that learning or training is outside the formal education system.Adult education can be training given to employees on report writing or budgeting; it could be a training given to farmers, taxi drivers, technicians, breastfeeding mothers and many others.It can be training to assist people to set up businesses, farming, water committees.It can be training to assist extensions officers, community liaison officers, gender officials, town clerks, voter education, rescuers, fire brigades or policemen wanting skills in report and statement writing: any education given to an adult outside formal education.As we can see, adult education is not just literacy.It is a diversity of training programmes facilitated by multiple efforts in the society.It cannot be synonymous with the Directorate of Adult Basic Education in the Ministry.The Directorate alone will never be able to provide all the programmes under adult education; other organisations have to be involved.The University of Namibia has two main concerns in relation to the provision of adult education in the country.To encourage all institutions and individuals involved in training adults to continue this important national duty and also to request the institutions concerned to realize that adults learn differently from the way children learn.Therefore, education or training or information given to adults should reflect the methodology associated with helping adults learn.Failure to recognise such a method would result in adults withdrawing from our educational programmes.Withdrawal does not necessarily have to be physical.Withdrawal can be mental too; a person who is no longer able to take in new information, which we may desperately want him/her to learn. The second concern that UNAM has is that Namibian people should view educational programmes as indis
pensable activities.Namibians should start equating learning with employment.A person who does not study when he/she has a remedy of one kind or the other should be viewed in the same way as an unemployed person who does not look for a job.In ten years to come, firemen, for example, will not only put out fires but would spend time and energy training people to prevent fires.Policemen will be more interested in helping to develop careful drivers than in giving tickets.You can imagine the diversity of learning opportunities required in the country.When these various educational opportunities are provided and participants in the training are treated as adults, then we can say Namibia is involved in adult education.As much as Namibia needs all these types of training for its people, the Government alone cannot provide all the needed training.Individuals and organisations with the capacity and resources to open training courses should do so (in conjunction with the NQA).Employers of all types should start training their employees for a better production.When employers involve their employees in training programmes: they are involved in adult education.The University of Namibia would facilitate and encourage adult education in the country.The Department of Adult and Non-Formal Education offers Diploma courses in Adult and Community education, which comprises of Community education, Needs Assessment, Project Planning, psychology of adult education and all other relevant courses that differentiate between teaching a child and helping an adult to learn.Organidations and individuals can request advice from the Department on the training and handling of adults.L L Shaketange UNAM