Basic problems


1.

Undereducated women hold attitudes about themselves as learners and persons, about

learning situations and educational institutions which are frequently reinforced by the behaviour and attitudes of service-providers.
 
2.

Service-providers hold attitudes about undereducated women, and about their own

organizational ability to provide services to these adult learners which are frequently reinforce by the behavior and attitudes of the undereducated women.
 
3.

Frequently these two sets of attitudes and behaviors are cyclical and mutually reinforcing,

with a Catch-22 built in which locks both sides into impossible positions and incongruent behaviour.
 
4.

The biggest problem appears to be a lack of awareness on the part of the service-providers

about how their organizational structures, processes and expectations about adult learners tend to act as a barrier to undereducated women.
 
5.

The attitudes and values which are explicit or implicit in every encounter between the

undereducated woman and the service-provider at every level are one of the most important elements determining whether she enters, remains and progresses in an adult basic education programs.


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