Cause of Slow Progress of Adult Education

The Government of India's Ministry of Human Resource Development defines Adult Education as
that which
"aims at extending educational options to those adults, who have lost the opportunity and
have crossed the age of formal education, but now feel a need for learning of any type, including,
basic education (literacy), skill development (vocational education) and equivalency."

The concept of adult education in the country was initiated by the National Fundamental Education
Centre (NFEC) set up by the government of India in 1956. Since then it has helped several adults
seek basic as well as vocational education which in turn has helped them in the following ways:

 Education helps a person take up better paying jobs which means it aids him in becoming
more capable of taking care of his family.
 It raises a person’s standard of living.
 Uneducated and unemployed people are more prone to turn towards criminal activities.
Education helps in eradicating such activities to a large extent.
 An educated person has access to more information and thus becomes a lot more aware about
what is happening around him. It also empowers him to work for the betterment of society by
questioning the wrong and supporting the right.
 Educated parents are able to raise their kids better.
 They also contribute to the overall progress of the nation by doing their bit.

Causes of slow progress:

Adult Education attempts to improve the quality of life of the learner. But there are many
problems beyond its scope.

1. Economic Related Problem: Education and the job pattern of the individual may not coincide. If
the individual has to make a choice, he chooses the job and drops out of education. Even in the Adult
Education timings are made convenient as the individual may get physically and mentally tired from
the job. This influences the motivation of learners in a negative way.

2. Ignorance and Poverty Related Problem : Persons who suffer from ignorance and poverty, even
if they join Adult Education courses by compulsion are under pressure and they soon drop-out. Also
Ignorance deprives them of the benefits of education.

3. Migration Related Problem: Learners mostly of lower socio-economic status migrate in search
of jobs or are less stable in their occupation. They move in search of a stable job. While working
they change their residence, in fact their life are disrupted that they do not have any time for Adult
Education programme.

4. Health Related Problems: The poor who form the majority of adult learners suffer most from
illnesses and ailments including the evil of too many children, which affects the health of the mother
and also the care of the children. Poor housing, unhygienic toilet facilities, unsafe drinking water and
an unhealthy environment, make it still worse.

5. Gender Related Problem: The superiority of men and the secondary status given to women keep
many women and girls away from education. Men by and large do not approve of women going out
to attend classes to educate themselves because housekeeping and child rearing will be neglected or
will have to be shared. The customs traditions and superstitions add to the dropout rate.

6. Orientation Related Problem: If orientation on Adult Education is not given to the teacher he or
she is most likely to remain less resourceful, less imaginative and less helpful. The failure of the
programme then could be due to the instructor's lack of instructional and psychological skills. The
instructor may not be able to teach and guide or to sustain the interest of Adult Education learners.

7. Confidence Related Problem: If the teacher has a correct perception or opinion of his/her
students the teacher will have confidence in the student's progress and ability. The negative attitude
contributes to the failure of the programmes.

8. Motivation Related Problem: Motivation is an important factor; lack of motivation leads to the
failure of the programme. If instructors and learners are not motivated to learn, the programme is not
going to be successful.

The Dalits of India: Education and Development

Discrimination against Dalits in the educational system is a widespread problem in caste-affected

countries. Alienation, social exclusion, and physical abuse transcend all levels of education, from
primary education to university. Illiteracy and drop-out rates among Dalits are very high due to a
number of social and physical factors. Legislation on the area is limited, and measures that have
been taken are often inadequately implemented.
Etymological Meaning:
The word dalit is a vernacular form of the Sanskrit दलित (dalita). In Classical Sanskrit, this means "divided,
split, broken, scattered". This word was repurposed in 19th-century Sanskrit to mean "(a person) not
belonging to one of the four Brahminic castes". It was perhaps first used in this sense by Pune-based social
reformer Jyotirao Phule, in the context of the oppression faced by the erstwhile "untouchable" castes from
other Hindus.
Historical Perspective:
 Gopal Baba Walangkar (ca. 1840–1900) is generally considered to be the pioneer of the Dalit
movement, seeking a society in which they were not discriminated. This is despite the work
of Harichand Thakur (ca. 1812–1878) with his Matua organisation that involved
the Namasudra (Chandala) community in Bengal Presidency, British India.
 The 1950 Constitution of India, introduced after the country gained independence, included
measures to improve the socioeconomic conditions of Dalits.
 By 1995, of all federal government jobs in India - 10.1 per cent of Class I, 12.7 per cent of Class II,
16.2 per cent of Class III, and 27.2 per cent of Class IV jobs were held by Dalits.
  In 2010, Dalits received international attention due to a portrait exhibition by Marcus Perkins that
depicted Dalits.
 According to a 2007 report by Human Rights Watch (HRW), the treatment of Dalits has been like a
"hidden apartheid" and that they "endure segregation in housing, schools, and access to public
services".

REFERENCES

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Pandya. R. (2011) : “ Spectrum of Lifelong Education”, Concept publishing private limited, New
Delhi
http://www.livemint.com/Politics/UtHyRhLul24cT4TIhgyrQN/India8217s-literacy-rate-rises-to-74-
Census.html
Bob, Clifford. “”Dalit Rights are Human Rights”: Caste Discrimination, International Activism, and the
“Changing Educational Inequalities in India in the Context of Affirmative Action.” Demography45.2
(2008): 245-270. Print.
Bossuroy, Thomas and Clara Delavallade. “Giving schoolchildren a chance.” Web. Nov. 17
2008. http://www.livemint.com/2008/11/17211850/Giving-schoolchildren-a-chance.html. Accessed Jun. 11
2010.
Construction of a New Human Rights Issue.” Human Rights Quarterly 29.1 (2007): 167-193. Print.
Crossley, Michael, and Myra Murby. “Textbook Provision and the Quality of the School Curriculum in
Developing Countries: Issues and Policy Options.” Comparative Education 30.2 (1994): 99-114. Print.
Desai, Sonalde, and Veena Kulkarni. “Changing Educational Inequalities in India in the Context of
Affirmative Action.” 45.2 (2008): 245-270. Print.
Desai, Sonalde, and Veena Kulkarni. “Changing Educational Inequalities in India in the Context of
Affirmative Action.” Demography 45.2 (2008): 245-270. Print.
Desai, S., C.D. Adams, and A. Dubey. 2006. “In the Margins: Social Inequalities in Children’s
Educational Outcomes in India.” Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Population Association
of America, March 30–April 1, Los Angeles.
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Kumar, Krishna, Manisha Priyam, and Sadhna Saxena. “Looking beyond the Smokescreen: DPEP and
Primary Education in India.” Economic and Political Weekly 36.7 (2001): 560-568. Print.
“Looking beyond the Smokescreen: DPEP and Primary Education in India.” Economic and Political
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Miguel, Edward, and Michael Kremer. “Worms: Identifying Impacts on Education and Health in the
Presence of Treatment Externalities.” Econometrica 72.1 (2004): 159-217. Print.
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Weekly 31.16/17 (1996): 1011-1024. Print.
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“The Caste System in Hinduism.” Web. 2005. http://www.friesian.com/caste.htm. Accessed 30 Mar 2010

The Dalits of India: Education and Development

Etymological Meaning:
The word dalit is a vernacular form of the Sanskrit दलित (dalita). In Classical Sanskrit, this means "divided,
split, broken, scattered". This word was repurposed in 19th-century Sanskrit to mean "(a person) not
belonging to one of the four Brahminic castes". It was perhaps first used in this sense by Pune-based social
reformer Jyotirao Phule, in the context of the oppression faced by the erstwhile "untouchable" castes from
other Hindus.

Historical Perspective:
 Gopal Baba Walangkar (ca. 1840–1900) is generally considered to be the pioneer of the Dalit
movement, seeking a society in which they were not discriminated. This is despite the work
of Harichand Thakur (ca. 1812–1878) with his Matua organisation that involved
the Namasudra (Chandala) community in Bengal Presidency, British India.
 The 1950 Constitution of India, introduced after the country gained independence, included
measures to improve the socioeconomic conditions of Dalits.

Ensuring access to education for the Dalits of India has been the greatest challenge for the Indian
government in diminishing the social effects of the caste system, which still remain entrenched in
Indian society. There have been many different reasons proposed as to why the Dalits suffer from
low rates of literacy and primary education enrolment, but the most realistic one describes history
and unequal access as the causes. The ancient caste system of India, which has resulted in the social
and economic oppression of the Dalits, continues to play a dominant role in India. The Dalits, also
known as the scheduled caste or untouchables, have experienced consistent denial to access to
While some benefits of social programs and government policies designed to increase primary
education rates can be noticed, the Dalit literate population still remains much lower than that of the
rest of India.

After the introduction of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled tribe Prevention of Atrocities Act of 1989, the
practice of the caste system became illegal in India. Despite increased government intervention, the
discrimination and mistreatments of individuals of lower castes still occur. Today, the Dalit population
represents 16% of the country’s population and still struggles to achieve social equality. There remains
geographic division within Indian cities and villages which exemplify the role that the caste system plays in
today’s society (Desai et al). Many Dalits have attempted to avoid the caste system by converting from
Hinduism to other religions, although this rarely allows these individuals to escape their social and
economic hardships.

The Importance of Education:

Before beginning to examine methods of improving enrolment in primary education and literacy rates, it is
important to know why education is such an important topic in development studies. The past century has
been characterized by a global expansion of education. Alongside this growth in education has also been an
increase in the gap between different social strata

---(Desai & Kulkarni)

i. Education can be a way to increase the incomes of impoverished people.

ii. Education helps to ensure that benefits of growth are experienced by all.
iii. Economic perspectives see education as a means to make individuals more productive in the
workplace and at home.
iv. It can also be seen as a means of empowering socially and economically deprived groups into
seeking political reform.

By using any of these reasons as motivation to pursue educational development, governments are
attempting to generate some form of social or economic equality for the population.

Conclusion:

There have been many attempts over the past one hundred and fifty years to help increase the quality of life
for the Dalits of India through development focused on enrolment in primary education. Education provides
individuals with the means to increase their income and to engage in economic activities. In addition, it can
help empower individuals to lobby for social change through political activism. Minor increases in
incentives for Dalits to pursue primary education have been beneficial, but not sufficient in equalizing the
enrolment gap between the Dalits and members of upper castes. In order for significant progress to be made
in increasing the primary enrolment rates of Dalit children, development organizations must continue to
explore varying levels of incentives and pursue national social equality in India.