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A further comment comes from Dr. R. Lawless, professor of
Anthropology at the University of Florida who claims that: (1)
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Literacy was originally a closely guarded secret of the
ruling elite used as a mechanism for exploiting the people. Its current
function is not dissimilar. Nations may spend a considerable portion of their
budgets on literacy campaigns, not to introduce their citizens to the great
literature of the world (they spend next to nothing on libraries) but to more
efficiently plug their citizens into the nationalistic propaganda network.
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These statements raise the possibility that every adult basic
education program, whether or not it has explicit goals related to
socially-acceptable participation in society, may be sowing the seeds of its
own destruction. Such programs cannot operate effectively without some
awareness that this type of goal is implied in all processes, all content, all
decisions and all policies.
| 5. |
Adult basic education programs help participants improve
their self-image, their |
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self-confidence and to "better themselves".
These are all expressive or personal growth and development goals. Such goals
are listed as a priority by participants and by teachers, but are rarely
recognized by government policy. In terms of outcomes, this goal is generally
successful. One major difficulty is that the process of becoming literate is
the main contributor to this outcome. If participants are dealt with as if they
were persons of worth, they learn to feel like persons of worth and their
confidence and self-image improve at the same time. If they also learn literacy
skills, their confidence and self-image improve still further. The outcome,
therefore, is a result of both direct and indirect activities and policies and
is difficult to measure accurately. |
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| 6. |
Adult basic education programs are to assist participants
to improve their |
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interpersonal skills and relationships by
helping them feel less vulnerable and anxious about being exposed as
illiterate, and thereby reducing their need for defensive behavior. Again, this
is an indirect expressive goal which is mentioned by teachers and participants
but rarely by administrators. |
| 7. |
Adult basic education programs help provide successful
learning experiences which |
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will lead to a positive feeling toward
education. This is the third stated objective of the Adult Day School in
Toronto (2). It sounds incongruent, as if the objective
is to increase the number of clientele available for further educational
programs. This may not be a bad thing, but as a goal with unclear intent, its
success is likely to be just as unclear. It may be good to develop a positive
feeling toward education among participants who are the parents of children
attending school. which is probably what the board of education had in
mind. |
It should be pointed out in passing, that this goal is expressed
as a result of the fact that in industrialized nations, illiterates tend to be
adults with the experience of school failure behind them, rather than simply
adults who have not had enough schooling. This experience in failure usually
leaves such adults outside the mainstream of society and feeling hopeless,
helpless and angry.
It is also somewhat refreshing to find an educational
institution which is not afraid to make an explicit statement about its own
goals in these programs. Every institution has a stake in the outcomes of the
programs it offers. An explicit statement to this effect makes the process
easier to cope with on the part of participants and monitor on the part of the
service-deliverer.
| 8. |
Adult basic education programs are to improve skills in
communicating in the |
|
dominant language of the society and to improve
skills in basic computing. This goal is mentioned by surprisingly few people.
Perhaps participants and service-providers take it as a given which does not
need to be expressed in explicit terms. In terms of outcomes, this goal
probably is successful. although perhaps never to the ideal level hoped for by
the service-providers and participants. |
(1). Robert Lawless, "Letters to the Forum",
World Education Reports, April 1977.
(2). E. Anderson and E. Woeller, "An adult basic
education program in a community setting" in Teaching adult basic education:
A program of videotapes and written materials for teachers and administrators,
a project sponsored by the Industrial Training Branch of the Province of
Ontario; the Canada Department of Manpower and Immigration; the Ontario
Institute for Studies in Education and the Ontario Education Communications
Authority. PP. 22 - 32. |