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Comments
Comments by Vilma Mc Clenan from Jamaica JACAE and CARCAE
Comments by Vilma Mc Clenan from
Jamaica
I've read with much interest Cecilia Soriano's paper on 'Adult
Literacy' and thank you for sending it to me. JACAE and CARCAE Allow me just a few comments: 1) Here in Jamaica, we have just completed our National Report on Adult Learning and Education(ALE) for UNESCO in preparation for CONFINTEA VI. In preparing that paper, the team of adult educators, including myself, grappled with the 'problem' of how best to define literacy in light of changing imperatives both local and internationally.For that Report, the following excerpt, taken from theReport,was proposed for consideration. "New definition of Literacy Literacy is not just the ability to read and write, the kind of definition which for many years in the past was the norm. It is more than that. In order to live and learn in our present knowledge-based and information-intensive societies, literacy needs now tobe viewed as the ability to understand and to use various types of information, in the various forms in which it is presented, inone's daily activities -- atwork, at home and in our community; it must be linked to societal and cultural practices for the definition to be meaningful. Literacy encompasses among other things the ability to read, write and comprehend in one's native/standard language; numeracy; the ability to comprehend visual images and representations such as signs, maps and diagrams -- visual literacy; information technological literacy and the understanding of how information/communication technology impacts our every actions (e.g. using bar codes on goods we purchase) and also scientific literacy. It is recognition of the importance of these many aspects of literacy which causes a society to constantly shift its yardstick of measurement of literacy upwards. For example, information technological literacy which is so important now was not a factor thirty- forty years ago. That is true as well for scientific literacy which will enable citizens to understand such things as genetically engineered foods, disease pandemics and the deleterious effects of environmental damage." (Taken from: The National Report on Adult Learning and Education, prepared by the Jamaican Foundation for Lifelong Learning for the Ministry of Education, Jamaica; April 2008) 2) A second unresolved issue which had surfaced from the time the Caribbean countries were preparing for the Education Forum in Dakar, was how best to measure literacy levels, and at what stages/times in programmes of training,in such ways that it will stand up to international scrutiny and recognition. For us, CONFINTEA VI needs to help us, among other things, to see how best tomove towards a more encompassing, 'newer' and workable definition of literacy that takes account of our country's culturalpractices andcurrent global imperatives. We would also like opportunity to be exposed to some 'best practices' in developing countriessimilar to our own,which have limited financial resources but which have successfully grappled with funding literacy programmes on an on-going basis -- not sporadically -- and which, as a matter of policy, carry out meaningful surveys to assess literacy levels, and also have overarching coordination of literacy programmes at various levels. And of course, all of which should transcend changes of government!! As in other countries, there areother issues related to adultliteracy, many of which have been mentioned in Cecilia's paper, and for which sincere thanks are due to herfor having articulated them so well. Kind regards,
Contribution to the Virtual Seminar
By Ousmane Diadhiou from Senegal
ContextANAFA, IALLA III Graduate “In Africa, an old man who dies is a library”; this statement poses at first glance the problem of adults education. The first sub regional workshop on advocacy, follow-up and capitalization about adults’ education, held from March 26 to 29, 2008 in Dakar, enables us to rethink education in general and adults’ education in particular. This encounter was held within a very difficult context marked by a menace of a year lost which responsibilities should be shared by three: the unconscious authorities, conjuncture educators and pupils (students) too officious. The school crisis in Senegal is cyclical despite the substantial part of the national budget hold by education (40%). Senegal is about 60% in terms of literacy. Almost two decades after Jomtien our country seriously runs the risk of not reaching education for all. In this, quality has left much to be desired, if great efforts are made in infrastructures with the building of new regional university centres, regional and departmental high-schools, places for the little ones and the Crepa and its equipment. However, quantum at university is rarely attained in many schools, besides medicine. If education is a right granted by Senegalese Constitution, access to it depends on social and economic factors. The first schools, like the ones of hostages, were destined to the children of kings and traditional leaders. Only the first villages have schools and high-schools with free materials. Dakar University was built in 1956 and it was not until 1990 that another one was built. Apart from 1968 social crisis, UCAD had two years characterised some times as lost, others as invalid. What is sure is that they were lost and made hundreds, even thousands of students to drop out studies with no perspectives of future. However, for a long time, education remained only in the hands of the State. With the application of structural adjustment policies that imply the State’s disengagement from many "unproductive" sectors like health and education, according to Bretton Wood institutions (the World Bank and the IMF). The corollary of this is that many industries closed their doors, many private schooled appeared and materials were no longer free in public schools. Educator’s recruitment and the building of schools are stopped. But the labour market becomes more and more demanding in terms of hiring with the NTICs that require new skills. The negative effects of these steps will lead to the appearance of a civil society more active that will take over from the State and/or will get in charge of the working masses concerns. It is worth pointing out the rural economy disarticulation that received a full shot from a decade of drought that led to a massive rural exodus. There is an instruction in Africa that developed lifelong:
- - Education in Senegal Adults’ education is an epiphenomenon as its circuit is first informal and also largely ignored by the State. Senegalese educational system is a pale copy of the French one. The French language used is the language of work in the two countries. The Senegalese system has four compulsory levels:
- - Pre-school is optional and only involves the cities; for a long time it has been left for private education and mainly for catholic private education. Everybody knows that university is the loam of adults’ education. However, it is just the outcome of general instruction. It is very difficult to reach it without passing through the normal circuit that requires at least thirteen (13) years. For this circuit age is the main criterion, the maximum age to enter the school being eight (8) years old. To this we should add the civil status that lacks in the campaigns, and the disaffection of schools. The enrolment rate of children is about 70%; however, less than 40% (of which more than half drop out without knowing to read or write) will never reach the general average and only 10% will go to university. At adults’ level, more than half are literate in Arabic, in national languages and/or in French. However, for a long time, those literate in Arabic could not reach the public service. On the contrary, for literacy in national languages, we stopped at reading and arithmetic calculation. No opening was allowed to join formal education. The creation of the literacy and national languages ministry and the future academy of national languages enables us to rethink adults’ education in Kocc Barma’ country.* * Senegalese philosopher of the XVII century
Brief response to recent comments
Marcella Ballara has reminded us to firstly, never forget
the gender dimension in adult education and secondly, that ‘education
demand hardly considers socio-cultural factors such as cultural systems,
labor possibilities, life projection’. by Astrid von Kotze from South Africa Girls are the last to enter school and the first to be pulled out when things get tougher than they already are, normally. Literacy is just one vulnerability amongst many and there is enough evidence to show how people conduct their own risk assessments on a regular basis. The options are often simple enough: learn to read and write or eat and have enough cash to take the baby to the clinic? Food security is the top priority and when there is a tension between school fees (especially for girls) or buying food, literacy / schooling looses out. Faced with the choice of either running a ‘restaurant’ and spending the afternoon collecting fuel-wood and water and cooking in order to generate a bit of cash, or going to the (albeit free) literacy class, earning wins the day over learning. And so on. Literacy studies should be in the context of livelihood studies and these must be linked to risk analyses, preferably from the perspective of those affected by multiple, accumulated and recurrent threats and hazards. People make contingency plans for ‘bad times’ but when too many hazards strike all at once, people’s ability to cope and recover is severely compromised. Thus, participation in literacy is not so much a question of motivation or appropriate methodologies but of sustained and sustainable food security for all. Especially, since, as Agneta Lind points out, ‘Literacy helps people to cope better with their lives, but is not magic’ and it does secure jobs or eliminate poverty. I am not sure I would agree with Jack Shaka that ‘Its for the lack of adequate knowledge’ that many of the people out in the streets were illiterates, and that more funding for adult education would ‘cure’ the situation. I wish education could indeed create peace and not just an enormous hunger for commodities. Until the huge gap between those who live in abundance and those who struggle to find enough to eat is closed we will all live precariously, and some will continue to die literate, or not.
Comments to the issues raised in
the document of Cecilia Soriano
Madame SYLLA NDEYE FEMNET - Sénégal
The total population of Senegal is 11.658.000, of which 5.734.000 (2005) are men and 5.924.000 are women; The population growth rate is 2.2% (2004) The fertility rate is 4.9 children per woman. Urban population: 51% The ethnic groups The ethnic groups in Senegal are: Badiarankés, Baïnouks, Balantes, Bambaras, Bandials, Bassari, Bédik, Coniaguis, Diolas, Europeans, Khassonkés, Laobés, Lébous, Lebanese, Malinkés, Mancagnes, Mandingas, Manjaques, Maures, Nduts, Niominka, Papels, Peuls, Sérères, Soninkés, Toucouleurs, Wolofs, Zenagas. The Toucouleur (12%) live on the banks of the river Senegal, between Podor and Matam. This is the first ethnic group that converted into Islam. The
Wolof (36% of the total population). The Diola (8%) live in Low Casamancia (subdivided in groups: Floup, Bliss, Karone, Fogny, Diougout, Diamant, Bayot y Essyle). The majority of Diolas are animist. The Mandinga (350 000 people). They came from Mali in the mid 19th Century and settled in High Casamancia and the High Gambia.
The Bassari living in the extreme South East of the country, in a tradicional way, hunting, fishing and harvesting. The Maures, they are mixed Bereberes, living in the whole country.
I. Literacy in Senegal is defined as the capacity to read, write and having numeracy skills, but also as having the power to use the knowledge and the assets to operate in economic activities. Policy and Legislation - Message from the Prime Minister, 26 January 1971, bill on the transcription of national languages and a white paper around words in Wolof and Serere. - Orientation Law, 16 February 1991 - Educational policy and training of disadvantage youth in Senegal - Chart of general policy – covers 1999 – 2008 - Transcription of so called minority languages Funding in Senegal The funding for literacy is 1 billion CFA Francs for 2005-2008, coming from the Strategy Document for Poverty Reduction and the contribution of partners and allies that work for development. The needs that orient literacy are the strategic needs of learners, so as to respond to their concerns. These learners are usually men without fixed employment, young men and women without formal schooling or who have not finished primary education and usually rural or peri urban women. The needs of women are linked mainly to their strategic interests. Programmes are usually focused on economic, legal, financial and promotional needs and on social relations. The language of instruction is the mother tongue but many times foreign languages (official and/or regional) are chosen by people who are immigrants in some countries. II. Materials are usually prepared at the local level according to the specific needs of the learners; the content is linked to the objective of the programme to be developed and the learners and subsequently chosen. Examples: programme for the promotion of the rights of women; programme for farmers. About the study programme, for example for the programme for the economic promotion of women, the emphasis is put on the income generating activities, the implementation of credit and saving mechanisms, the development of land for the cultivation of cereals, with the aim to improve the nutritional intake and the income of the families. The didactic material will be developed together with the learners, the plan of the course will also be discussed with them according to their availability. It is also necessary to modernise the learning methodologies, using modern means like the radio, the TV, communication through community radios. Spaces will be created to guarantee the training of women in Senegal (CENAF, CEDAF, shelters). The trainers usually do not have official diplomas to do the work and their basic salary is miserable. It is necessary to take steps for the improvement of the system and also for the integration of the curriculum into the formal system. In order to implement literacy programmes for efficient adults, it is necessary that governments contribute with more innovative initiatives, such as the construction of schools for lifelong learning, establishing a recognized diploma and salaries according to the SMIG. Above all, it is necessary to appreciate the human resources through practical and technical sessions that can be beneficial for the economic and social development of our community. Annexes
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