Abstract
This study was on introducing adult literacy in Bethlehem community due to illiteracy rate. Three objectives were raised which included: To examine if there is high rate of illiteracy in Bethlehem community, to examine the impact of the adult education on the participants in Bethlehem community and to examine the role of adult literacy Education Programme plays in the development of Bethlehem community. The total population for the study is 75 selected residents in Bethlehem community. The researcher used questionnaires as the instrument for the data collection. Descriptive Survey research design was adopted for this study. The data collected were presented in tables and analyzed using simple percentages and frequencies. The study recommended that Ministry of Adult Education should be created to take over the administration of Adult literacy programmes in Nigeria.
Chapter one
Introduction
1.1Background of the study
Adult illiteracy is a growing problem despite efforts to curb it. Each year, an estimated 2.3 million persons join the pool of those 23 million adults considered to be functionally illiterate. While the world percentages of illiterates are declining absolute number of illiterates are actually increasing. Literacy is defined as the ability to read, write, and compute with figures ( Ani, 2003). In 1965 at UNESCO conference in Tehran in Iran, the concept of functional literacy emerged which describes the use of basic skills in specific context (Agbionu, 2014). Adult illiteracy is simply defined as the inability of adults to read, write and compute the figures.
Illiteracy is a global tragedy. At a glance, we often think illiteracy is not being able to read or write, but what does that actually mean on a deeper level? It’s a much bigger and more complex issue than one might think and it’s important to understand the devastating impacts of illiteracy. Imagine for a moment, not being able to read a simple sign or fill out an employment form. For individuals and families across the world, this still remains a real problem. The social and economic development is hindered (https://www.linkedin.com)
One cannot talk of literacy without mentioning of illiteracy. Igbo 2008 likened illiteracy to darkness, poverty, bondage, ignorance and imprisonment, while Imel, 1985 submitted that literatures have tended to portray illiterate adults as being embedded in a culture of poverty. According to him, most illiterate adults are poor. They live in squalor. They are ignorant and unemployed. They are unable to feed themselves and their families, unable to train and send their children to schools which results to a vicious circle of poverty. Illiterate adults fear failure in teaching-learning situations, have low self-esteem and self-confidence and resist change. Ani (2003) emphasized that adult learner lacks confidence in himself or herself as a student; underestimate himself of being incapable of learning something new. Can you teach old dog new tricks? They may ask. Most illiterate adults are characterized as inarticulate and unable to cope or think abstractly. In developing countries of the world like Nigeria, there are two types of illiterate’s proximate illiterate and Isolated illiterate. The former refers to an illiterate person who lives in a household with other literates and the later refers to an illiterate who lives in household of all illiterates. According to Lankshear and Knobel (2006), what is of concern is that many people in poor nations like Nigeria are not just illiterates but isolated illiterates.
Adult education, according to Anyanwu (1987), includes “all educational activities carried out by individuals engaged in the regular business of life.” It is addressed to individuals, with a strong emphasis on the local community. Adult education is described by Eyibe (1999) as “any type of education provided outside of the traditional school environment for the illiterate population, formal school dropouts, skilled and semi-skilled employees.” Adult education, according to this definition, includes literacy remediation, skill training, and retraining programs aimed at adults. Any individual above the age of 18 is considered an adult in Nigerian culture. Intellectual or catch-up schooling requirements, vocational and professional skills, family life, social and civic obligations, and self-fulfillment needs are all part of it. Community needs are growing, but the government is paying them little attention. Members of every community must be strategic in order for development to reach them quickly. Many community development programs have been started, but none of them have ever seen the light of day. Education has also been the sole means of community growth, although many people choose to work outside their towns after receiving their credentials, and others never return. Education is the most frequent method of assisting a community’s growth by using the adult members of the community.
A number of definitions of community have been proffered (see Shaw, 2007). For example, some scholars define community as a collective informed by emotional solidarity, which is out of tune with the ‘individualistic’, fast-paced, detached, post-modern and the profitmaximizing world (Ellis, 1998; Fraser, 2005). Fraser (2005) defines a community as a body of relatively stable, harmonious, homogenous and connected collectivities. Elsewhere, ‘community’ is construed as a transient collectivity which exhibits solidarity in sharing common goods and making decisions bordering on socio-ecological challenges within certain contexts (see again Fraser, 2005; Bishop, 2002; Ife, 2002; Pettus, 1997). ‘Community’ is also perceived as a container for the ‘ordinary folk’ to converge, seek refuge and show solidarity and deliberate on common social injustices and environmental problems (Fraser 2005; Bishop, 2002). Community development (CD), then, is one of the major strategies for driving development at the grassroots level (Jibowo, 1992; Williams, 1978).
Adult Education has long been in existence to reach out to community people, but there is a pressing need to re-engineer this type of education for better community use. Re-engineering education, according to Blaisdell (1996), is a demonstration of the value that an educational promotion program may bring to a group of people or a region. Education is a tool for people’s growth in a society. It aids in the promotion of current and future understanding and collaboration among a group of individuals. It contributes to the establishment of peace by promoting understanding and respect for individual diversity. Adult education is the most essential education in the community since it enables communities organizes to contribute to their own growth for the sake of survival and future generations. Formal and non-formal education is the two types of education available (Ogwo and Oranu, 2013). Formal education, according to Smith (2016), is a hierarchically structured chronologically graded educational system that runs from primary school to university and includes, in addition to general academic studies, a variety of specialized programs and institutions for full-time technical and professional training.
Adult education is education provided to people who are unable to attend a formal school system in order to assist them gain information and occupational skills that would enable them to be more productive members of society (Ogwo, 2009). Adult education cannot be appreciated without mentioning its beneficial effect on the community or participation in community development in which a person lives. Community development, according to Uwaka (2014), is a process in which the people’s efforts are combined with the government’s to improve the people’s economic, social, and cultural conditions in order to fully integrate them into the nation’s life and enable them to contribute fully to national progress.
Statement of the problem
Education, which is the backbone of industrialized countries, is critical to the growth of developing countries such as Nigeria. Since the federal government launched a mass literacy program in 1982, the level of adult education has been a significant concern of both the government and private individuals in Bethlehem community. Adult status in the educational system is now regarded with indifference by adults as well as government agencies. Politicians view it as a critical tool for development, but once they go to work, their patriotic enthusiasm for the program dwindles making the rate of illiteracy to be high. These issues include a lack of funding, a lack of passion on the side of learners and instructors, insufficient infrastructure and resources, and client ignorance. As a result, this research is being carried out with these issues in mind. In light of the above, the research examines the issues that have led to the current high rate of illiteracy in Bethlehem community
Objective of the study
The objectives of the study are;
- To examine if there is high rate of illiteracy in Bethlehem community.
- To examine the impact of the adult education on the participants in Bethlehem community.
- To examine the role of adult literacy Education Programme plays in the development of Bethlehem community.
Research question
The following research questions were formulated;
- Is there high rate of illiteracy in Bethlehem community?
- What is the impact of the adult education on the participants in Bethlehem community?
- What is role of adult literacy Education Programme plays in the development of Bethlehem community?
Research Hypotheses
The research hypotheses were formulated;
H0: there is no high rate of illiteracy in Bethlehem community
H1: there is high rate of illiteracy in Bethlehem community
H0: there is no impact of the adult education on the participants in Bethlehem community
H2: there is impact of the adult education on the participants in Bethlehem community
H0: there is no role of adult literacy Education Programme plays in the development of Bethlehem community
H3: there is role of adult literacy Education Programme plays in the development of Bethlehem community
Significance of the study
The study will be very significant to students, ministry of education, government and policy makers. The study will give a clear insight on the introducing adult literacy in Bethlehem community due to illiteracy rate. The will educate the community and the government on the important of adult education and it contribution to community development. The study will also serve as a reference to other researcher that will embark on the related topic
Scope of the study
The scope of the study covers introducing adult literacy in Bethlehem community due to illiteracy rate. The study will be limited to Bethlehem community
Limitation of the study
Gathering of all needed data in most studies is usually met with a number of obstacles and constraints.
1. Financial barriers stand as a big constraints during exercise and had limited the full success of this study. This is because a lot of money was required administer questionnaires do also the time dusted to conduct the interview was base upon looked appointment which was not reliable for several days.
2. Lack of cooperation of some respondent because of their tight schedule particularly the market women who were always buy attending to their customer. This I was often asked to make repeat call.
However, despite all these constraints the research believes that this study achieve the desires objective.
Definition of terms
Adult Education:
Can be defined as any education given to adult person’s men and women. Adult education is sometimes defined as the education provided for all men and women who are aged 21 and above. This is a biological definition based in the assumption that adult is one who is aged 21 and above.
Literacy:
Can be defined as the ability to read, write and speak a language as well as the ability to compute in broad terms, literacy is the ability to make and communicate meaning from and by the use of a variety of socially contextual symbols. According to (Cunningham, 2010) and Harste, 1994) literacy has for instance, expanded to include literacy information and communication technologies and critical literacy.
Non-Formal Adult Education:
Can be defined as the training and instruction which takes place outside the formal education system or within the four walls of institutions adult and non formal education may be aimed also at young people who legally have not attained adult status, but for whom there is no further provision within the school system.
Adult Literacy Education: Adult education is thus sometime using the programmes as the basis for an operational definition. For example, adult education been defined as adult literacy education. The weakness of this definition is that it excludes the body of knowledge accumulated in per literate and non literate societies. Yet it is known that such societies provided some knowledge and skills averting most facts of human endeavour religion, politics, work, and play. Language health and morals.
This material content is developed to serve as a GUIDE for students to conduct academic research
INTRODUCING ADULT LITERACY IN BETHLEHEM COMMUNITY DUE TO ILLITERACY RATE
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