Adult Education and National Development: Concepts and Practices in India.

Overview & Synopsis

The importance of eradicating adult illiteracy in developing countries as a part of promoting community participation in democracy and in accelerating the rate of national development is treated in the study of adult education in India. Attempts have been made to: link adult education to major developmental and productive activities through programs such as the Farmers Training and Functional Literacy Project to increase agricultural productivity; use mass media to communicate programs and agricultural information; develop library services; develop voluntary organizations to carry out pilot projects and encourage public concern; and initiate adult education in urban areas for industrial workers to promote trade union leadership and provide access to continual training and education. Youth involvement in adult education promotes participation in community development, and adult education in universities integrates both the formal and nonformal education approaches. The period of the Indian Fifth Plan (1974-1979), crucial to the development and reorientation of adult education, demands increased financial allocations, the integration of adult education in the educational system, the entry of nonformal education facilities at all levels of education, the emphasis of mass participation in programs, the development of urban programs, and new programs for the staffing and training of personnel. (JB)