ADULT EDUCATION IN INDIA.

Overview & Synopsis

AGAINST A BACKGROUND OF MASS ILLITERACY, POOR PAY AND STATUS OF TEACHERS, AND AN ALIEN EDUCATION PATTERN, THE STATE GOVERNMENTS OF INDIA HAVE PROVIDED SOCIAL EDUCATION FOR CITIZENSHIP AS WELL AS LITERACY. INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP METHODS HAVE BEEN USED, VIDYAPEETHS (RESIDENTIAL COLLEGES) AND EDUCATIONAL CENTERS HAVE BEEN SET UP, AND ALL INDIA RADIO USED IN RURAL AREAS. BECAUSE OF OVERWHELMING ILLITERACY AND ITS CONNECTION WITH COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND THE PANCHAYATS, WHICH HAVE NOT BEEN SUCCESSFUL, SOCIAL EDUCATION HAS NOT ACHIEVED AS HOPED. THINKING IS TURNING TO CONCENTRATING ON THE 15-30 AGE GROUP AND SETTING UP VOLUNTARY VILLAGE COLLEGES WITH GOVERNMENT SUPPORT. SINCE 1958, THE CENTRAL BOARD OF WORKERS EDUCATION HAS PROVIDED SUCCESSFUL COURSES FOR WORKERS RUN BY PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION OFFICERS AND WORKER TEACHERS AND CONCERNED ALSO WITH LITERACY. SINCE 1964, THE UNIVERSITIES OF MYSORE, POONA, AND RAJASTHAN HAVE CREATED DEPARTMENTS OF ADULT EDUCATION, PROVIDING LECTURE SERIES AND SETTING UP EDUCATIONAL CENTERS IN SMALLER COMMUNITIES. DELHI HAS STARTED A CORRESPONDENCE COURSE. THE INDIAN ASSOCIATION FOR ADULT EDUCATION, A VOLUNTARY ORGANIZATION, SHOULD BECOME A QUASI-GOVERNMENT AGENCY TO DEVELOP A STRUCTURED SYSTEM. THIS DOCUMENT IS AVAILABLE FROM THE OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS, OXFORD, ENGLAND. (RT)