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AN ASSESSMENT OF ADULT EDUCATION AS AN INSTRUMENT OF SOCIAL CHANGE
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the study
Nigeria like most developing countries has placed undue emphasis on formal education while apparently neglecting adult education. The present economic development in the African Region compares very unfavorably with levels already attained by developed countries as well as by a number of developing countries in other regions. This is because 65% of the African populations are illiterates. Adult Education, though taken by the Nigerian society to be a low-cost area of the educational system, but from the point of view of return on investment, it is the most immediately productive and profitable for the national economy. What seems to be needed more in Nigeria today is a development-oriented, non-formal education to ensure the principle of self-reliance both in national and individual terms.
Adult Education
Adult education usually refers to any form of learning undertaken by or provided for mature men and women outside the formal school system. It also includes “numeracy”, problem-solving and life skills, and other knowledge. The notion of adult education is often used interchangeably with other notions such as literacy, adult basic education, lifelong learning, continuing, adult basic end non-formal education, etc.
For the purpose of this presentation, adult education is understood as a transmission process of general, technical or vocational knowledge, as well as skills, values and attitudes, which takes place out of the formal education system with a view to remedying early educational inadequacies of mature people or equipping them with the knowledge and cultural elements required for their self-fulfillment and active participation in the social, economic and political life of their societies (Seya, 2014). Adult education, according to Mbalisi (2010) is “any educative and purposeful learning activity organized for adults to initiate them into a new way of life by providing them with relevant skills, competencies, knowledge, information and attitudes required to excel in that aspect of life”. Sociologically, Dumazedier in Ezimah (2004) defines adult education as an action for the cultural development of the society or its component groups; consciously directed towards the development of the economy of society and of the human personality, by means of a system of continuous or recurrent learning which brings the culture and cultural levels which are mostly capable of encouraging such development.
Adedokun (2012) defined adult education as that
education that redresses the imbalance between the education received when one is young and that of later life. For him the earlier education is not adequate to save one from professional
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as well as cultural obsolescence during the later period of life. This implies that adult education produces a type of satisfying continuing effect for all levels of school leavers, in order to make them stand the test of time in their various professions. It is therefore important that the nation cannot afford to neglect, adult education because it is through it that innovations are supported and brought into the lives of individuals and the nation as a whole. The definitions above reflect an inclination of adult education towards solving societal problems, and hence, fostering necessary social change.
Challenges of Adult Education in Nigeria
Adult education taken by the Nigerians society to be a low cost area of the education system (which is not usually funded adequately) if viewed from the point of view of return on investment is the most immediately productive and profitable for the national economy. The need of Nigeria today is a development –oriented education which is provided by adult and non formal education. When adult and non formal education is emphasized, the much emphasized self reliance on the national policy on Education will be realized. It is a fact that where the majority of people has no proper type of education or where the majority are illiterate a nation cannot be strong. Change is manifesting in adult education in many ways and this is why adult education must be well funded and administered. Ewuzie (2012) also stressed that in Nigeria high premium is placed on formal education. Formal education had always been emphasized from time immemorial and this is at the expense of adult and non-formal education. As well as formal education is, it is not known to bring immediate solution to problems facing individuals and nations. Government must vote in funds for the running and administration of its programs because adult education is the hope of millions.
The challenge of teaching is another problem being faced by adult education and this is in addition to the problem of facilitator. Imhabekhei (2009) is of the opinion that a person that is not a trained adult educator, may not be able to function
as expected in terms of teaching the adult and he thus posited that there is a need to differentiate between the method for teaching the young ones (Pedagogy) and the method for teaching adults (andragogy). Facilitators should learn to incorporate methods of learning that prove effective in every learning situation. Combining methods will help both facilitators and learners to achieve. Doing this may however be difficult for an untrained facilitator on whom the effectiveness of adult education lies. The facilitator who is not a trained adult educator may not be conversant with the nature and characteristics of adult learner and may not really understand that adults achieve less when the learning tasks involve too much theory and memorization. It is therefore important for trained adult educators to be employed for the purpose of effective adult education.
Adult Education and Social Change in Nigeria
Adult education plays a major role in social change. It is now widely admitted that growth will not reduce poverty unless poor people are able to actively participate in it. Such participation can become effective to a large extent through adult education. Indeed, the African, and of course, Nigerian population will need some kind of formal and non-formal education and training to be able to benefit from basic health care, including sexual and reproductive health services, the development of new medicines, and thus be in a position to free itself from diseases that devastate poor people, such as HIV/AIDS,
tuberculosis, malaria and other parasites. Adult education will also be needed to enable the Nigerian poor to really take advantage of programs aimed at protecting orphans and vulnerable children or drastically reducing the number of people without access to safe water and basic sanitation.
The role of adult education in development is not limited only to economic and social spheres. It also has a political dimension. There is a strong link between adult learning and democracy. This is so because, as acknowledged at the UNESCO Fifth International Conference on Adult Education held in Hamburg in 1997, “substantive democracy, and a culture of peace is not given; they need to be constructed “(UNESCO, 1997). For democracy to be achieved, adult education is needed as to inform them of their rights and responsibilities as democracy also requires people to actively participate in local, national and global levels. It is today admitted that the lack of recognition of the need to involve civil society, especially grassroots organizations, by giving them a voice in decision-making and the means to participate effectively in society is one of the major causes of development failure in many African countries. Abuse of human rights and social injustice leading to the exclusion of important segments of society, has also constituted stumbling blocks to economic and social progress on the continent and paved the way to violent conflicts (Seya, 2014).
Adult education may prove to be a powerful tool for favoring inclusive development through democracy, thereby ensuring peace and stability, as a number of studies have shown that prevention (through adult education) is much more effective than intervention. Prevention of political disorders and civil unrest can be made possible through various adult education strategies. A number of adult education policies promote democracy and peace has been proposed during the Fifth International Conference on Adult education (UNESCO, 1997). They tend to attain their objectives through various strategies that promote an active civil society, reinforce gender democracy and help to solve conflicts between different countries and groups to the extent that the world at large is experiencing the effects of multi-faceted globalization with varying degrees of impact on peoples and cultures. It is apparent from the foregoing that adult education is an indispensable vector for social, economic and political progress in any society.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Nigeria’s economy has been affected by poor infrastructural facility development and maintenance, depending on imported goods and services, reliance on a single economic sector, weak industrial capacity, inefficient and ineffective public utilities and low literacy level. These problems constitute a cog in the wheel of Nigeria’s economic growth and development and as a result hinder human growth and development and improved human well-being. Adult education is very vital to addressing these problems because it provides adult with the necessary skills, attitudes, knowledge, values, beliefs required to trigger social and economic development of any society.
1.3 Purpose of the Study
I. To provide functional and remedial education for those young people who prematurely dropped out of the formal school system;
II. To provide further education for different categories of completers of the formal education system in order to
improve their basic knowledge and skills;
III. To provide in-service and on-the-job vocational and professional training for different categories of workers and professionals in order to improve their skills;
IV. To give the adult citizens of the country aesthetic, cultural and civic education for public enlightenment.
1.4 Research Questions
This research was carried out to provide answers to the following research questions:
I. Does adult education have a significant role in reducing poverty level?
II. In what capacity can adult education, improve the economic benefits of individuals?
III. Is there any attitudinal change between individual who
participate in adult learning and from one who does not?
1.5 Research Hypotheses
The hypotheses for this study are as follows:
Ho1: There is no significant relationship between adult education and reducing poverty levels in the society.
Ho2: There is no significant relationship between adult
education and economic benefits to the nation.
Ho3: There is no significant relationship between adult education and attitudinal changes of individuals in the society.
1.6 Significance of the Study
The study’s finding is to state the role of adult education in development and its contribution to human capital formation. More importantly, adult education yields high rates on investments and enhances labor productivity by equipping various categories of recipients with essential literacy and numeracy skills alongside health care, sanitation and nutrition knowledge that improves the peoples’ standard of living; as well as relevant skills to improve productivity.
1.7 Scope of the Study
The study is limited to the geographical area of Lagos State. It covers specifically adult learners of Lagos State University in Ojo Local Government Area of the State.
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