Zambia: Adult Education Lacking Policy Direction

[Harold Schiffman]

Adult Education Lacking Policy Direction
The Times of Zambia (Ndola)


NEWS
24 March 2008
Posted to the web 24 March 2008

By Nebert Mulenga


THE absence of appropriate infrastructure and educational materials
for adult literacy in Zambia is now forcing many determined adult
learners to go into formal schools where they have to mix with their
own children. Clara Moyo, 50, a resident of Chipata town in Eastern
Province, stopped school at a tender age. She got married as an
illiterate person, gave birth to 11 children and in the process, had
three grand children. But in 2006, she made a drastic decision to go
back to school!  "I stopped school when I was young because I didn't
know the goodness of education. But when I was elected chairperson (of
some local organisation) I had problems addressing meetings because of
language barrier," she recounts.

"So I went to Katopola basic school in 2006 and started grade eight. I
am now at Chipata Day high school in grade 10. My two boys are in
grade nine, the other one is in grade 12. We are all learning together
as a family."  Ms Moyo is not the only Zambian keen on pursuing
education in old age; there are thousands of other elderly women and
men across Zambia wishing to better their living standards through
attaining higher education.  But they are often inhibited by the lack
of supportive policies and facilities to promote adult literacy.
Zambia is party to several international instruments on promoting
education, including the global Education For All (EFA) goals, whose
main emphasis is on raising literate populations through sound early
childhood care education and development, basic education, and adult
literacy.

But Zambia has no adult literacy policy in place! Only now is the
Government getting to formulate the policy that would ultimately
regulate the provision of informal education to the growing numbers of
illiterate adults. About 35 per cent of adult Zambians, especially in
rural areas, are said to be illiterate, according to the ministry of
Education. "Literacy is key to empowerment of people and national
development. Literacy can create a spark for empowerment of
communities and individuals," says Education Minister, Geoffrey
Lungwangwa. "But in as much as we would like to see many of our people
acquire tools and skills that enhance literacy, and be able to
translate the information they access to improve their daily lives,
consultation over the (adult literacy) policy is very important.

"So we are still consulting, and we want to have as much participation
from all players as possible before we come up with the national
policy," assures professor Lungwangwa.  Analysts and critics say the
absence of the policy has been the main reason behind Zambia's failure
to offer education for the thousands of aged citizens who cannot read
or write. While Zambia could have registered a number of positive
achievements in terms of boosting enrolment at primary school level,
there is little to show in the area of adult literacy. According to
Victor Koyi, chairperson of the Zambia national education coalition,
an umbrella body of all civic organisations involved in providing
non-formal education, the scenario presents a challenge that could
affect the success of Zambia's attainment of the second Millennium
Development Goals on ensuring all children of school-going age are in
schools by 2015.

"A parent who has not been to school seldom appreciates its
importance; many illiterate parents especially in rural areas, do not
support or encourage their children that much about school," Mr Koyi
said. And this is something of a fact that even Ms Moyo attests to:
"It is so easy for me now to appreciate the needs of my children in
school. We sit down as a family to discuss our syllabus and various
problems we could be facing. Education is power, I am able to
understand many things," she says. The absence of an adult literacy
policy has led to lack of proper direction, even for the few civic
organisations and community volunteer organisations that attempt to
raise the education levels of the "little" educated.

A new study, The Extent of Adult Literacy In Zambia, commissioned by
the People's Action Forum (PAF), a civic organisation promoting
non-formal education in outlying areas, found that most facilitators
were inadequately trained and poorly (or not) remunerated.
Furthermore, there were no standardised educational materials for both
facilitators and learners, in addition to lacking appropriate
infrastructure.

The study also established that although adult literacy is generally
considered important, government, donors, community service
organisations and the private sector had not committed much funding to
it.

"Adult literacy programmes under government departments are poorly
managed, (there is) lack of comprehensive policy framework, lack of
appropriate curriculum and lack of standards in the sub-sector," reads
part of the findings of the study conducted by Margaret Machila and
two other researchers.

To a large extent, the findings of the study go some way in explaining
the reasons why hundreds of adults like Ms Moyo, are now opting to go
into formal schools, despite their learning capabilities being totally
different from those of the children they are being taught together
with.

The local media has in the recent past captured a number of stories of
parents attending schools with their own children in Luapula province,
among other places. But analysts fear the situation could hinder
others from learning, especially those who might not be keen on having
to compete with their own children in class.

Illiteracy is said to fuel poverty in many parts of the country. In
all areas where majority of the population are illiterate, there is
often the resultant factor of higher unemployment and poverty levels.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200803240583.html

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