An investigation into the significant role of adult education among blacks in South Africa : a philosophical perspective
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Date
1995
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Abstract
The researcher sought to investigate whether Black people in South Africa view adult education as having any significant role. The researcher established a view that adult education is a tool for transformation. He further demonstrated through his constructive discussions that adult education is a tool for self-liberation and self-development. In this study the researcher has tried to form a harmonious relationship between a sociological approach and philosophical point of view. This study attempts to emphasize the importance of adult education for Blacks in particular. The researcher decided to state his problem in the form of questions: "Does adult education have any significant role in helping Blacks respond to changes and challenges they face in South Africa?" "Do Blacks perceive adult education to be of any particular significance in helping them respond meaningfully to some economic, social and political responsibilities they face?" These and other similar questions helped the researcher in making worthwhile recommendations at the end of his study. The study showed that in every society people need education to fulfil meaningful roles. The researcher has, in many instances, pointed out that adult education will help Blacks respond meaningfully to some challenges they face, especially in the new South Africa. The study revealed that policy makers, planners, trainers, teachers and learners have different views and ideas about what literacy means, what its benefits and consequences are, how it should be achieved, on what scale and why. The researcher found that there was a need for an adult literacy programme that would help Black people become fully involved as citizens of their country. South Africa. The study showed that without this programme it would be almost impossible for Blacks to fulfil any significant role in boosting the economy of the country. In this study adult literacy programmes were seen as components of adult education.
Modern society needs people who could meaningfully create a stable environment for the upbringing of future citizens, contribute to society through work, participation in education and training processes. Adult education could help Blacks perform these tasks-
The researcher supports the National Education Policy Investigation (1992) on literacy because it empowers individuals, promotes rural, urban or national self-development and self-reliance, accelerates economic development, hastens modernisation, makes individuals more confident and assertive.
In Chapter One the problem was stated, aims of the study outlined and major concepts were elucidated. In Chapter Two the rationale for theory and practice in adult education was discussed. It was revealed that adult education responds to individual and social needs. Chapter Three surveys the historical development of adult education in certain countries and also examines some trends of similar developments in South Africa. The researcher found that there has been some commitment in various countries including South Africa to adult education. Chapter Four looked into the magnitude of illiteracy in South Africa and how some organisations have tried to combat it. Whereas Chapter Five describes the research methodology, Chapter Six presents the analysis of data, interpretation and evaluation of the findings. In the analysis of data it was noted that 68% of the respondents indicated that adult education was very important. With regard to the question of the importance of literacy, 43% of the respondents felt that learning to write, learning to count and learning to read were of cardinal importance especially for most Blacks in South Africa. Only 4% of the sample showed uncertainty. Ninety five percent (95%) of the subjects felt that adult education could help elevate the standard of the economy of the country. Only 1% of the respondents felt that this would not be the case.
Literature review, interviews and empirical surveys conducted revealed that provision for adult education is necessary for all racial groups in general and for Blacks in particular.
Among some recommended actions that the researcher made, the following can be cited:
* Adult education programmes are needed at the local, regional and national levels of the governance of education in South Africa. These need to be spelt out clearly in the policy for education and training.
* There is a need for research that will assess the needs of people at any given place so that there is no waste of resources on the provision of adult education.
* There is a dire need for all stakeholders in education and in particular non-formal education to work collaboratively for the enhancement of adult education schemes. These include the government, members of the community and non-government organisations (NGOs). The researcher felt that the private sector could support adult education projects by way of sponsorships and loans.
Though the researcher recommended the involvement of industry and commerce in the education of Blacks he, however, emphasized that what was urgently needed amonc Blacks was education for self-reliance ant self-development-
The study revealed that there is a dire need to empowe: Blacks with skills for life and that education should h viewed as a life-long process.
The researcher also recommended the setting up of mor adult education centres, consultancy units and researc units for the promotion of adult education.
The researcher recommended that a needs assessment shoul be conducted to set up adult education programmes on short-, medium- and long-term basis.
Adult education should become a serious and urgent subjec of curriculum planners. However, the research* recommended that there was a dire need for educatit planners in adult education to consult the people, exper' in this field, the private sector and all other interest parties before curricular options are designed.
* Black people themselves should form clubs, societies, associations and organisations that will develop programmes for adult education.
* Ordinary day schools should be used at night and on weekends for adult education.
* There is an urgent need to train adult educators who should be awarded diplomas and certificates after completing their studies.
* Colleges of education, technikons and universities should have departments of adult education. In addition to this, all universities need to establish adult education centres.
Another important dimension of the study emerged when the researcher made use of the philosophical method to evaluate the trend of emphasis in the theory and practice of adult education. The researcher mentioned that there is also a philosophy that guides the activity of adult education. Links were also forged between a philosophical method and an empirical-analytical method.
Substantive reasons for the employment of the philosophical and the empirical method were given. A noteworthy revelation was that the perceptions of Blacks with regard to the significant role of adult education embody some elements of the radical philosophy. Most of these people felt that adult education could help solve some of the social, economic, political and cultural problems. These are some of the immediate problems of these people. This urgent reformist and revolutionary reference to the task of adult education is typical of the radical approach. The radical approach only ignores and undermines the fact that there is always a need for planning and foresight that should precede any implementation of a programme. It is, however, important to mention that a diagnosis of the perceptions of Blacks as observed in the empirical research showed that adult education among these people will have to adopt more of a progressive dimension which is associated with progress and development of the people. It has to do with continuing education which enables the lives of the people to change continously.
Description
Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Education
in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION
in the
Department of Philosophy of Education
at the
University of Zululand, 1995.
Keywords
Adult education., Adult education--South Africa.