Adult Education
India is one of the educationally backward countries in the world. The prosperity of a country depends upon the quality and character of its people.
The quality and character of the people depend upon their enlightenment and education, Even after 35 years of independence less than one third of the people in India can be termed as educated. Though large sums of money have been spent in all fields, education however had not been fairly treated. The result being seventy percent of the people of free India can neither read nor write.
It is very shameful that a vast majority of the Indian people have been denied the basic and fundamental right to education which is the most essential need of the modern world.
Though we have taken sincere efforts to eradicate illiteracy. We have failed to achieve our object. The Government has sponsored a vast Adult Education Programme and set apart several crores of rupees for this purpose. The target is to make at least forty-five lakhs of people literate in the first year. This is to be increased step by step till in the final year, the target will be three and a half crores.
This programme is to be carried out by the various educational departments in the states and also by voluntary organisations. Various states have provided a state officer for implementing the adult education programme under whose direction and supervision the programme will be carried out. All classes are to be held mostly at night. Adult education will not be confined to literacy only. Apart from teaching the letters, the teachers will discuss with them about agriculture, development plans, social and political topics.
The adult education may be more useful for women. Besides teaching them to read and write, they can be taught other useful things which nay help them to maintain better homes and bring up their children in a better way. Adult education if properly carried out will not only benefit the individual but also the country. This will drive out the mental backwardness. Further this will involve the people in the task of nation building. The energies of a vast population that had so far been lying waste will be harnessed to national advantage.
The adult education programme requires more teachers, organizers and project officers. Hence this will provide additional employment and decrease the problem of unemployment to certain extent.
There should be effective supervision and control lest funds may be misused. Adult education is to be made a continuous process and it shall be a part of our national development programme.
