This is an Educational Article basically for Political Science and Social studies Department in other word for the faculty of Arts and Social Sciences in higher institutions.
Non- Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Towards the Development of Adult Education in the Developing Countries.
Apart
from the government participation in organizing and financing of adult
education programmes in the developing countries; non-governmental
organizations has contributed immensely to the furtherance of adult education
in Africa south of the Sahara. NGOs are intermediate organizations dealing with
development issues through participation. They are universally recognized as
active role players in development programmes. A good number of them (both
local and international) have demonstrated the effectiveness of their programme
delivery through the success they have recorded in mobilizing community
participation in community development projects. NGOs do not pose themselves as
competitors to the government but rather, International Review of Social
Sciences and Humanities as partners to affect successful outreach to the
programme they are committed to undertake.
Non-governmental
organizations have played a vital role in the development of Adult Education in
Nigeria. In 1959, the federal government of Nigeria invited an international
firm of management consultants, which has its headquarters in London, to
organize some courses in supervision and management for the Nigerian foremen,
supervisors and junior managers from private companies, government department,
parastatals and financial institution including the central bank. This
assignment turned out to be one of the true Adult Education programmes
sponsored and developed by the federal government. The content of the courses
was truly adult education oriented and not just a continuation of courses
designed for school and college systems. Many who took the advantage of the
courses, through the nomination and sponsorship by their organizations rose to
very high positions in their establishments.
According
to Olagbemi (1995), this project was of particular importance to adult
education as it was set to tackle the problems through teaching, research, and
production of qualified personnel for Adult Education work. Again in Nigeria, during the decade
beginning in 1970, the federal government embarked on the task of formulating a
new National policy on Education which was published in 1977. In it and for the first time, Adult Education
was recognized as a driving force for development. This new attitude and
approach served as boost to the development of Adult Education. Further
channels were then provided for NGOs to disseminate their findings, provide
more services and expand their research work: this led to the expansion of
Adult Education programmes in Nigeria. The following NGO’s will be considered
in this paper UNESCO, UNICEF, WB, UNDP, AALAE, PALAAE, ALECSO, ICAE, ADEA, GCE
& ANCEFA.
UNESCO:
UNESCO
is the specialized international organization for education, science and
culture within the United Nations system. It is the only international
organization that deals with education in a holistic manner, including all
levels and modalities, and integrating education culture and science. This
places UNESCO in a unique position for assuming and leading the educational
revolution required, especially by the developing countries.
UNICEF (United Nations Children’s
Fund)
UNICEF’s
mission focus is on the improvement of primary health education and social
development. It also center on protecting the rights of children, which can
only be accomplished with and through adult who protect or violate those rights
at home, in schools, in decision making at the various levels. However, the
notion of “children first,” leads in the practice of UNICEF to children only.
If adults come into the picture, it is women adults. The family has gradually
vanished; priorities turn children into girls, adults into women and women into
mothers.
UNICEF’s
proposed “Educational revolution” (UNICEF 1999) comprises five key elements
namely learning for the life
• Accessibility,
quality and flexibility
• Gender sensitivity
and girls’ education
• The state as key
partner
• Care of the young
child.
All
these focus on schools and around girls as the magic bullet. UNICEF is a
funding agency but at present tends to supply materials rather than the raw
cash because of misappropriation of resources by the receiving educational
agency. It is very much involved in educational programmes related to street
children, gender issues and non- formal primary education. In Nigeria, through
the agency for adult and non-formal education, government established
vocational centers and child-welfare centre in some local governments.
WB (World Bank)
The
World Bank is not a specialized institution in education. It is a bank whose
interest in adult education is rather recent. Its 1995 education policy
document had marginal references to adult education, drew conclusions to its
“poor record” but did not include it among the “six key areas” to be supported
in the future, and announced a specific policy paper on adult literacy. The
announced paper on adult literacy came out six years later. (Oxenham and Aoki
2001).
UNDP
(United Nations Development Programme) The UNDP defined human development as
something much more than the rise or fall of national incomes. It is about
creating an environment in which people can develop their full potential and
live protective, creative lives in accord with their needs and interests.
People are the real wealth of nations. Development is thus about expanding the
choices people have to lead lives that they value. And it is thus much more
than economic growth, which is only a means- if a very important one-of
enlarging peoples choices. Fundamental to enlarging these choices is building
human capabilities – the range of things people can do or be in life. The most
basic capabilities for human development are to lead long and healthy lives, to
be knowledgeable, to have asses to the resources needed for a decent standard
of living, and to be able to participate in life of the community. Without
these, many choices are simply not available and many opportunities in life
remain in accessible.”(UNDP 2001). The
Human Development Index (HDI), as calculated by UNDP, includes three
dimensions.
• A long and healthy
life.
• Knowledge
• A decent standard
of living.
PALAAE (Pan-African Association
for Literacy and Adult Education)
This
is another regional NGO in Africa. It was established at the initiative of the
World Bank in 1998 and evolved from a donor to African Education (DAE)
organization. It was also in a network and a partnership with African ministers
of Education, International agencies, education specialists and researchers.
ADEA’s eleven working groups are engaged in advocacy, analytical work and
capacity- building.
ICAE (International Council for
Adult Education)
This
was created in 1973 and had its headquarters in Toronto. It remains active as a
major global NGO network focused on Adult Basic Learning Education (ABLE). It
represents today, more than 700 literacy, adult and lifelong learning
associations; it has seven regional member organizations as well as national
and sectional members in over 50 countries. ICAE’s mission is expressed as
follows:
“To
promote the use of adult learning, as a tool for informed participation of
people and sustainable development. In the emergence of knowledge-society, the
ICAE promotes lifelong learning as a necessary component for people to
contribute creatively to their communities and live in independent and
democratic societies. Adult and lifelong learning are deeply linked to social,
economic and political justice; equality of gender relations; the universal
right to learn; etc.
GCE (Global Campaign for
Education)
This
global NGO was launched in October 1999 by three international NGOs-Action Aid,
Oxfam and Global March on child labour – and Education International (the
world’s largest federation of educators), it includes CSOs (Civil Society
Organizations) from 80 countries. GCE
posits education as a fundamental human right that state governments are
responsible for providing and believes that only world-wide mobilization of
civil society will force the implementation of the action.
CONCLUSION
Apart
from these International and Regional NGOs, there are numerous National NGOs
which serve the interest of each country at eradicating illiteracy and
furthering the course of learning and research in Adult education. They were
either established by the religious bodies, philanthropist or some economic
enterprises. The NGOs both at the
International, Regional and National levels had been able to assist in the
development of Adult Education in the provision of funds, provision of
materials, provision of experts, provision of training facilities for both
short and long term higher education courses, and provision of opportunities
for both developed and developing countries to exchange visions, knowledge and
views about how the scope and goals of Adult education could solve the needs of
the various people in their domain. It is the responsibility of each nation in
the developing countries to tap the provisions by these NGOs to propagate the
development of adult education in their domain
REFERENCES
[1] ADEA (Association for the
development of Education in Africa), News Letter, 12(3)(2000)(Paris,
http://www.adeanet.org)
[2]
Carr-Hill R Ed, Adult Literacy Programs in Uganda: an Evaluation ,
(2001), Washington: The World Bank.
[3]
D.H. Fretwell and J.E. Colombano, “Adult Continuing Education. An
integral part of lifelong learning. Emerging policies and programs for the 21st
century in upper and middle income countries”, World Bank discussion paper,
(2000), Washington D.C.
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