NOTE: The separate statements made in this table are meant to be read as if they were part of a cumulative whole. Each separate contributes something to the overall attitude developed. Neither behaviour nor attitudes should be viewed apart from the context in which they occur. The possible interpretations and attitudes suggested may be used by some undereducated learners, some of the time This material is not to be reprinted or cited for publication.


Characteristics of
undereducated learners		 Resulting behaviour
of learners 		Possible interpretations
by service-providers		 Possible attitude of service-providers
toward learners

8. the process of being admitted and registered takes time; everything happens at its proper time and in sequence
we must operate on schedules to maintain an efficient service
haste makes waste

don't bug us

you should have planned ahead; now you'll have to wait your turn

it takes time to solve these "little" problems

we have problems too.

if I don't bug them, they'll never do it

how can I plan ahead when I don't know what problems will come up; I've never done this before.

I don't like having my time wasted either

I really need to solve this problem right now-- can't they see how imperative it is for me

I only have little problems They don't care about my problems; only about their own.

They are blind to our needs

They are self-serving

9. undereducated women are probably the hardest kind of person to educate.
you can't teach an old dog new tricks especially when they have never had to work in their life and probably won't work now but just go back on social welfare
they are really someone else's problem - not ours

they will take twice as long as a man so there's no point in asking much of them

they will probably not finish

they will probably go back to being a housewife so let's teach them how to be better housewives.

we won't bother providing the services we might provide for other types of learners

these programs are boring; I could go a lot faster if they would let me and help

This takes so long - I can't wait to finish. I guess

I will have to go back to housekeeping

how come the others get things we don't get?

They don't seem to care about how well I am doing

I am wasting time and money which I need for other things

I should be at home anyway

They don't want me anywhere else but at home

They treat me as second-rate learner & a second-class person I am a second-class person


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