Zambia: Adult Education Lacking Policy Direction
Posted by sociolingo on March 27, 2008
Source: Edling mail list
Adult Education Lacking Policy Direction
The Times of Zambia (Ndola)
NEWS
24 March 2008
Posted to the web 24 March 2008
By Nebert Mulenga
THE absence of appropriate infrastructure and educational materials for adult literacy in Zambia is now forcing many determined adult learners to go into formal schools where they have to mix with their own children. Clara Moyo, 50, a resident of Chipata town in Eastern Province, stopped school at a tender age. She got married as an
illiterate person, gave birth to 11 children and in the process, had three grand children. But in 2006, she made a drastic decision to go back to school! “I stopped school when I was young because I didn’t know the goodness of education. But when I was elected chairperson (of some local organisation) I had problems addressing meetings because of language barrier,” she recounts “So I went to Katopola basic school in 2006 and started grade eight.
I am now at Chipata Day high school in grade 10. My two boys are in grade nine, the other one is in grade 12. We are all learning together as a family.” Ms Moyo is not the only Zambian keen on pursuing education in old age; there are thousands of other elderly women and men across Zambia wishing to better their living standards through
attaining higher education. But they are often inhibited by the lack of supportive policies and facilities to promote adult literacy. Zambia is party to several international instruments on promoting education, including the global Education For All (EFA) goals, whose main emphasis is on raising literate populations through sound early
childhood care education and development, basic education, and adult literacy.
Full story:
http://allafrica.com/stories/200803240583.html
Edling mailing list Edling@lists.sis.utsa.edu
https://lists.sis.utsa.edu/mailman/listinfo/edling
