I am attending a forum organized by the International Council of Adult Education (ICAE) bringing together 20 educators, with state and non-state actors, and activists working in the field of adult and popular education. The aim is not only to foster leadership in the area In socialist Tanzania in the sixties and seventies there was conscious recognition that adult education was our salvation from debilitating ignorance, poverty and disease. Accordingly the government invested in the sector

There was no village or commune without adult education classes or facilities. In fact the concept of adult education was put parallel to the concept of basic education, the aim being affording the population with basic literacy and numerical skills. Adult education would thus cover not only the older generation who under the colonial administration were denied an education but also included the youth who may have missed out on universal primary education (UPE).

This is now a thing of the past not so much because our literacy rates are exceptional but because there is not as much money going into education, particularly post-primary education. Like in many countries adult education in Tanzania is under threat. National budgets to social services have been cut, most of it going into servicing the debt while allocations to education initiatives, particularly adult education initiatives, are dwindling. Internationally too, money is being diverted to other more immediate development priorities including relief and reconstruction efforts of man-made atrocities. Most of these decisions are being made absent popular involvement or sanction being mainly instigated by global financial institutions concerned with economic expediency. 

The discussion at ICAE is not only limited to adult education, which we have understood to mean literacy classes but rather how education can be understood as a lifelong enterprise. The objective is to help generate a broader vision of adult education and lifelong learning within the framework of human rights, developing linkages with the most important globalization issues that are currently affecting the world. Indeed this is crucial considering that over half of the recommendations from UN conferences concern informal and adult education.

This makes sense to me considering I come in into the discussion, not as a traditional educator, but as an activist and a development practitioner who in the course of facilitating development in organizations and in individuals applies approaches that promote participation and reflection. The action-learning circle for instance is vital in facilitating development for change. Particularly valuable in applying action learning is the emphasis on reflection on action and incorporating the learning in a new way of doing in a constant motion of upward movement denoting improvement.

Additionally, my practice and values are constantly being challenged. Like many professionals who spend years learning formulas and then trying to apply them (on trial and error basis) working with communities that engage and question put us in check as to what we can realistically bring to dynamic community processes. Do we have the blue print of development? Are we the critical intermediaries to people?s development by virtue of our education and training? Consequently are we indispensable to people?s participation in development and in other aspect of civic life?
 
So what indeed should be our role in a very politicized global environment where competing interest, some of which escape local attention or are beyond local comprehension threaten our very existence? Many development practitioners and adult educators who are politicized see their role as not only critical, but essential in facilitating community processes. In such a situation they place themselves at the middle of such processes assuming the caretaker role for people?s welfare and futures. The life of the community is thus effectively predicated on an individual, the saviour or expert, who may assume the role of a benefactor or an intermediary, mediating the relationship between citizens with ?others? i.e. the outside. Such a relationship is not developmental. In effect, it is unnatural and destructive as it stifles local initiative and esteem.

I have come to understand this reflecting on my work with organizations, mostly local people?s organizations. I have been struck by their simplicity of purpose and their resilience. Indeed, most grassroots organizations seem to occur almost naturally in their context and continue to exist responding to less visible human need which essentially influenced its existence. Many times this need is not expressed in sophisticated vision or mission statements but is embodied in the spirit in these organizations or indigenous systems of organizing.

A case in point is a women?s support group in Moshi Town that organized itself around community service performed around religious and cultural festivals.  The group has been in existence for over 80 years. One member in her 50?s explained, ?When my grandmother moved here, this organization was already established and involved in Maulid celebrations as well as self help initiatives?.

New members, however, felt that the older women had no vision. They felt the organization needed to move with the times and modernize. They needed to have a clear structure, clear goals and objectives and defined budgets. Clearly, the younger women wanted to turn this ?local? community initiative that balanced the spiritual with community service to a project model initiative that has come to characterize civil society ?development? efforts in Tanzania.

I knew that formalizing the group would kill the invisible magic that was the secret of its continued existence. It was clear that more than formalities brought the women together year after year to continue their tradition of community service. Perhaps there was merit in the younger member?s wanting such giving and action to become more streamlined and on a lager scale. But equally meritious and developmental is acknowledging where the motivation for wanting such change emanated from. In this case, it came from a faction of new members who felt they needed to adapt to the changing face of NGOs, possibly to become eligible for external funding. This would enable them to do bigger things- and hence the possibility of becoming more engaged civically.

Close to this discussion is the role of the adult educators and activists since we appear as intermediaries between the masses and funders, policy makers, enlightened professionals and other interest groups. In the ICAE forum many, particularly from Africa, express concern about the shift and decrease in development financing and its impact on local organizations to organize thereby limiting local ability to nurture a robust civil society.

For me, in a way, the very association implied in the question embeds deep contradictions- that local organizing should be dependent on external financing; and that funding, not a shared cause and support from the masses should be the object of a robust civil society. What then does this mean for practitioners and facilitators of adult education?

I think the key question rests on how we perceive not only our roles but also the abilities of citizens who happen to be adult learners. Placing ourselves firmly at the center as intermediaries suggests that we are not only prejudice but also patronizing in how we deal with those we perceive as being less ?educated? in the formal sense. It is a value judgment on the relevance of what we know and what we have learnt in mainstream pedagogy. In effect, it dismisses the lived experience and wisdom acquired through informal and non-formal education systems. It suggests that citizens don?t know and can?t make choices without our ?enlightened? interventions.

Critical pedagogy should be about raising and heightening consciousness, and not about directing and intervening. At the end of the day, if we want communities to be truly empowered, something we can gage by their free and informed exercise of choice, we should be in a position to trust that left on their own they can decide on a course best suited for the future they envision independent of our mediation. Only then can we truly be seen to advocate for and support adult learning for active citizenship.

We would like to share with you a report made by one of our participants, Salma Maoulidi from Tanzania

By Salma Maoulidi
Tanzania
smlidi@yahoo.com
 

In the first week of September of each year, most countries, at least those that still value learning, mark Adult Learning Week. Internationally, this event will be in Africa this year. Archie Mokonane, chairperson of the Gauteng Province Council for Adult Training and Education informs that South Africa will be host to hundreds of delegates from different parts of the world representing institutions and activists engaged in promoting learning throughout life.

What is spectacular about this one may ask? For one, many of us in the developing world seem to have forgotten the importance of learning through out life, especially when we are adults. Indeed, as parents we only consider educating our children on the pretext that ?it is their time, ours has passed?. As workers we tend to think this is relevant for those who have never been to school as we already have the certification that proves we ?qualify? for the job market.

In most developing nations, a lot of attention is on formal education at the elementary level forgetting that adults equally need to be educated so that they are better placed to support their children?s learning. The result is debilitating where people?s learning is confined to specific time and spaces, in our context in poorly equipped classrooms without the chance to further that learning beyond the classroom. Thus, instead of bridging the communication gap across generations, the education model being enforced intensifies the same. No wonder the ageing population fails to understand what is happening around them while the youth barely comprehend the nostalgia the aged have for old systems and values in shaping the being and society.

Unquestionably, we are a community divided not only by religion, class, political affiliation and ethnicity but also by age. As we experiment with pluralism, we can?t undervalue the role of education in contributing to enlightened and informed citizenry. According to Carol Ano of the UNESCO Institute for Education (UIE) is as an impetus for democracy.  Jacob Erle, from the International Academy of Education and Democracy (IAED) relates Adult Education to increasing citizens? ability to participate in democratic spaces particularly in politics and governance either individually or as part of a group e.g. civil society. ?This is why?, says Celita Eccher, Secretary General of the International Council for Adult Education (ICAE), ?it is critical to advocate actively for the right to learn throughout one?s life at national and international levels?. 

Nordic countries have long understood the benefits of investing in life long learning. Governments in the region invest highly in Adult Education programmes and their economies and citizens are reaping the benefits. Other than being models of active citizen democracy, they lead in human development indices. Sweden and Norway use adult education as a way to solve development challenges such as unemployment. Both countries are implementing competence reforms intended to upgrade skills of the workforce to meet the needs of a fast changing labour market.

Through out Scandinavia study circles are part of the Nordic culture, enabling citizens, particularly older citizens, to pursue courses in crafts, culture and academe and hence lead rich and productive lives past official retirement. Folk schools are also widespread for those who have completed their basic education. Tanzania adopted the concept of Folk Schools with generous support from the Danes, but in the last decade we have witnessed the closure, or neglect, of most Folk Schools.

Folk Schools are in crisis Denmark and this has spilled over to Tanzania particularly with regards to the withdrawal of funding to Folks Schools. Some activists in the region attribute it to the change in government. In Sweden on the other hand Folk Schools are thriving, as are study circles probably as Ms. Britten Mansson-Wallin Secretary General of the Swedish National Council of Adult Education because, ?Adult Education is a way of engaging?.

How are we engaging with adult learning in Tanzania?

Article 11 of the Constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania provides for the right to learn and puts duty on state to ensure right to work, self-education and social welfare for citizens. According to the article, the right to education unlimited to field of vocation and includes vocational and other institutions of learning. Article 20 recognizes the right to association while Article 21 grants every citizen the right to participate in public affairs and governance of the country. One of the most direct way citizens can do this is by working and holding office which rights is recognized under Art. 22. Participating in democratic spaces is the only way by which citizen?s can claim their constitutional and legal rights. In this way, the right to learn is central in realizing to social inclusion and extends beyond the concern with cognitive abilities but providing learners with social competencies.

In sum, the Tanzania constitution envisages an active citizenry. One of the ways this constitutional intent can be put into practice is by creating an environment for broader and meaningful citizens participation. Promoting the right to learn is thus critical. Whereas the Tanzania Government has committed itself to a number of regional and international treaties that recognize the right to learn, and whereas in line with the constitution a number of policies are in place to guarantee every citizen the right to learn, as we mark Adult Learning Week, this is an opportune moment for us to ask how far the government has met its obligation in so far as realizing the right to learn for all Tanzanians?

Indeed, the policy framework is in place to support Adult learning. In fact, the Education Policy includes Adult Education as part of non- formal education and training. It also provides that, ?Continuing education shall be an integral part of the education system?. Further, it states that, ? Univerasl Adult Literacy shall be accessible to All Adults. Basic literacy, post literacy and functional literacy programmes shall constitute essential components of the educational sysytem?. The Education Act directs all educational institutions in Tanzania to be designated Centers for Adult Learning. We are yet to establish how far this has been realized.

The Institute of Adult Education, working under the Ministry of Education and Culture, is entasked to design, develop and make available and monitor the curricula for literacy, post literacy and functional literacy programmes. Functional Literacy Programmes to be designed and developed in response to the socio-economic needs of neo-literates. In this respect national literacy tests are to be conducted every three years to improve national literacy levels. Moreover the Ministry responsible for teacher education is to train a cadre of Adult Education  teachers and tutors.

When this proviso was implemented with some seriousness Tanzania saw one of the highiest literacy levels not only in the continent but also in the world. This is no longer the case with increasing levels of illiterates, most being children and youths leaving school functionally illiterate. The bulk of the illiterate population remains those who never had the fortune to attend school; or those who studied under systems that are not part of our colonial educational legacy. The continued presence of an uneducated or poorly educated class is a liability not only for development but to the notion of social inclusion and active citezenship. 
 

Consequently, while there are favourable policies in place to facilitate adult learning there is a big discrepancy between policy statements and actual practice. Currently, the impetus, in terms of policy and budgetary allocation, is in the formal education sector. Also, there appears to be little coordination between institutions providing AE services limiting the possibility of mainstreaming Adult Education in development programmes. The little that is being done in the guise of non-formal education is largely experimental and focuses on the seven to nineteen year olds to the exclusion of others i.e. adults.

Moreover, there is poor collaboration between national and district structures and government and non-governmental institutions providing Adult Education programmes and how the same is to be mainstreamed as a development imperative. Adult Education is consistently left out of official education reporting even among education networks though acknowledged as part of the education system. Meanwhile, alternative channels for non/informal education are under-developed including ICTs, trade schools, traditional institutions and local governance structures.
Increasingly there is now wide recognition that gender is a cross cutting issue. However gender is still perceived in a fragmented manner, emphasizing the numerical gains with little assessment of the impact interventions have had on existing structures and attitudes. The same seems to be the case of adult education. Clearly, there is need for skills in integrating AE concerns in development plans, initiatives to make it a key consideration in development monitoring. In particular, there lacks an in-depth analysis of gaps that exist between knowledge and practice. It is therefore difficult to gauge the role of continuing education in people?s increased awareness and participation since the only variable measured in most data is primary school education and post primary education not informal and non formal education.

Thus while Tanzania has high levels of adults who know about HIV/AIDS, the reality is that the life skills necessary to enable the population fight the menace are appalling. According to the Tanzania Reproductive and Child Health Survey (TRCHS) of 1999 only 4% of women use of condoms while a 2003 AYA study puts the figure at less than 1 % suggesting that female youths are not only engaging in unprotected sex at an early age but also at risk of unwanted pregnancies and STIs/HIV/AIDS. The disconnect between HIV knowledge and safe sex practices makes Adult Education more than relevant for the wider population. Further, it can explain the poor linkage between macro economic performance and the poverty situation.
 
Manifestly, the government needs to reconsider it priorities. The bulk of budgetary expenditure is presently going into infrastructure - buildings, roads and equipment. In past years Adult Education is not emphasized as a development priority nor as a cross cutting issue providing the impetus for development. While the government is committed to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and accordingly has incorporated most of the MDGs in the PRSP, the fact remains that these goals focus more on elementary education not Adult Education. Very little is channeled to skills and resources needed to support mainstreaming of Adult Education including literacy and skill development. This raises key concerns as to the ability of the Tanzania Government to ensure Education for All come 2015. Hence, absent due consideration the very policies meant to improve citizen participation and enlightenment seem to undermine Universal Adult Education.

I believe that enough structures exist under the current policy framework provides to enable Adult Education and its related activities. This however requires policy makers and bureaucrats as well as development practitioners to engage differently with the concept of life long learning. For example, most policies now provide for citizen participation in implementation. Thus in the case of the Water Policy, water committees set up at local levels require citizens to be imparted with technical skills in maintaining water pumps or water sources. Also the link is made with related knowledge such as on health since most childhood deaths are on account of waterborne diseases. Likewise, the Transport Policy recognizes the role of citizens in contributing to and maintaining roads. In both instances communities are expected to manage funds towards that purpose, something that is beyond the basic numeracy skills.

In effect, most policies, sectoral and otherwise, in place afford opportunities under which communities can learn together in a relevant and holistic manner, far more advanced and democratic than the traditional adult education classes, which confined themselves to basic literacy and numeracy skills. In the same breath the nation stands to gain from the wide array of experiences and knowledge in place. But how conscious are relevant ministries in making this connection? How many ministries, departments and local governments actually invest in these democratic spaces to promote citizen participation in their projects and in how they work?

To have meaning, democracy must cease to be a fad of the political elite. It has to be entrenched as part of a people?s culture and consciousness. As a key principle in nation building it is reaffirmed in the preamble and in Article 3 (1) of the Constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania. To actualize the concept the Government must provide in addition to the political and economic legal frameworks, an enabling environment for learning via the production, distribution and availability of instructional and learning materials, equipment and libraries for adult and continuing education. Equally pertinent is a high level of investment to the area.

There is an opportunity for civil society and concerned citizens to emphasize the centrality of AE to development in their advocacy by making sure that learning throughout life remains a national development priority. The only way is making the government accountable to meet the goal for Education for All.

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