A ‘fresh look’ at adult literacy and the role it can play in poverty reduction

Walter Naftalie Kahivere, University of Namibia

Introduction

The concept ‘literacy’ has undergone various changes over the years. It started off by a simple definition such as ‘the ability to read and write your name’. Then it expanded to include the ability to read and write simple sentences. The use basic arithmetic skills were then added. Debates at various international conferences and documents produced by institutions and individuals examined those limited definitions and tried to explain ‘what level of reading and writing skills’ is really needed to be regarded as ‘literate’. One perspective that came out from such debates was to define literacy in comparison with formal education. The argument was that literacy cant mean one thing for adults and other thing for children. If a child is literate after four years of schooling, then an adult is literate if he or she has achieved equivalent competencies. The concept of equivalency is a complex one as ‘how does one compare two different forms of education that do not have the same content?’

It is only around the 60s and 70s that radical adult educators started to establish a new face to the concept ‘literacy’ (Kintgen 1988). Adult Educators such as Ivan Illich and Paulo Freire brought a valuable element to the debate by focusing on the purpose and usefulness of literacy to adults. Freire argued that it’s not enough to read the word but that one should also be able to read the world (Freire 1970). This form of radical literacy brought a new honeymoon to adult literacy (Akinpelu 2002). In this context, literacy started to be used as a tool for ‘transformation’, ‘conscientisation’ and ‘empowerment’.

Kozol has the following to say about literacy:

The illiterate.. has been crippled in at least three ways: first, by economic and societal exclusion: second, by the inability to see historic precedent for that exclusion and thereby to make use of what has already been said by others; finally, by the inability to render eloquence accessible, and suffering believable, by use of writing words (Arnove 1987).

The definitions that have been highlighted came as a result of research, experience and from literature on adult literacy. Definitions mainly form the basis of what literacy programmes want to achieve. Social and political situations also shape and influence the provision of literacy to adults. It is in this light that this paper examines how adult literacy can contributes towards the reduction of poverty.

The provision of literacy in Namibia

The Republic of Namibia became independent in 1990 and had a major task to set up ministries that provide basic services to its people. Most of these basic services were non-existing before independence. As far as education is concern, the Ministry of Basic Education, Sport and Culture has been set up to cater for all educational needs including that of adults. This Ministry established a Directorate of Adult Basic Education (DABE) that is responsible for all adult educational needs. Four programmes are currently managed by DABE namely the National literacy Programme in Namibia (NLPN), the Adult Skills Development for Self- Employment (ASDSE), Community Learning and Development Centres (CLDC) and the Adult Upper Primary Education (AUPE) (MBESC 1993).

The National Literacy Programme in Namibia (NLPN) has been launched in 1992 and offered a three stages literacy programme over a period of three years. The first stage focus on basic literacy in nine local languages, while the second stage focus on functional literacy. The third stage provides communicative English. Like most national literacy programmes in other parts of the world, NLPN had a huge intake during its first few years. The First Overall Evaluation of NLPN that has been conducted in 1994 commended it for a low drop out rate (Lind 1995). The Second Overall Evaluation of NLPN has been conducted in 2000 and commended this programme for its efforts but also pinpoint that there was a decline in attendance. The Second Overall Evaluation recommended the programme to come up with innovative ideas to avoid the trap of becoming ‘business as usual’ (Bhola 1995). This paper would like to point out were literacy programmes failed to remain relevant and dynamic.

Poverty reduction strategies in Namibia

On the National level, the National Planning Commission (NPC) introduced a medium plan for the country called First National Development Plan 1 1995 – 2000 to ‘…sustain economic growth, create employment, reduce inequalities in income distribution and eradicate poverty in the population’ (NPC 1997). The National Planning Commission use two terms to define poverty, namely ‘relatively poor’ and ‘extremely poor’. The 1993/4 Namibia Household Income and Expenditure Survey concluded that 47% Namibians are ‘relatively poor’ as they spend more than 60% of their income on food. The same document found that 13% Namibians are ‘extremely poor’ as they spend more than 80% of the income on food (NPC 2002). We can thus state that Namibia has a poverty line of 60% if we combine the two mentioned categories. Poverty is not evenly spread in Namibia as 70% of the Namibian population live in seven northern regions. In 1993, it has been established that 7000 richest Namibians spend as much as 800 000 poorest Namibians combined (NPC 2002).

The National Planning Commission has set the strategies to reduce poverty through a national development plan:

·  To foster more equitable and efficient delivery of public services

·  To increase food security and expand agricultural base

·  To empower the informal sector and self-employment sector (NPC2002)

According to the National Planning Commission, Namibia is facing six challenges to reduce poverty, namely:

·  The gap between the rich and poor is too big

·  Namibia cannot rely on its poor rainfall for agricultural production and has two major deserts

·  The population growth rate is still high in comparison to the economical growth

·  The economy of the country does not promote equitable growth and job creation

·  The GDP of the country cannot grow higher than it does at the moment without increasing the percentage of middle-income people

·  Namibia has a lack of skilled and literate people to drive the economy (NPC 2002)

The Second National Development Plan 2 in Namibia covers the period from 2001 – 2005 and is an extension of NDP 1. The National Planning Commission highlight that one way in which poverty could be addressed is by ‘investing in people’ through education. In order to fulfil this obligation the Ministry of Basic Education, Sport and Culture established The National Literacy Programme in Namibia (NLNP) with the aim to achieve 80% literacy by the 2000 (MBESC 1993). This objective has been met as can be confirmed by the 2001 Census. The Census used two criteria to determine if the person is literate or not, namely self-reporting and if the responded completed four years of schooling. The same programme has set it self now a new target to reach 90% literacy by the year 2015.

Another effort by the Directorate of Adult Basic Education in Namibia to address the reduction of poverty was the introduction of a loan scheme programme called Adult Skills Development for Self-Employment (ASDSE) in 1998. This programme aimed at unemployed and under employed adults. Preferences to benefit from this programme are given to adults who attend literacy classes. The potential beneficiaries could submit a business proposal to the offices of the said ministry. DABE staff members then assess the viability of the business plan and then train the successful candidates in basic management of business. It is only after such training that adult can borrow money from the bank that has been guaranteed by a Trust Fund that has been set for this project. The minimum loan is N$ 2 000.00 (US $ 300) and the maximum is N$ 20 000.00. (US $ 3000).

This programme also aimed at attracting many adults to the literacy classes while it reduce poverty at the same time. According to the programme co-ordinator, this programme experienced the following problems:

·  People could not repay the loans as their business could not generate enough profit

·  Training was not adequate

·  People needed more time to make money before they could start pay off their debt.

·  Lack of skills to come up with diverse business plans

·  Lack of support to sell products due to poverty in the area.

This difficulties that ASDSE experience are not unique but other programmes such as Experimental World literacy Programme, Julius Nyerere’s Ujamaa and Adult Literacy for Development in India can support this statement (Arnove 1987). It is in this light that the paper suggests that literacy providers should take a fresh look at their practice and come up with sustainable suggestions that give ownership to communities. National programmes still lack local content. The drop out rate of adults in literacy programmes is a clear sign that they alienates them from their daily lives and their they often have irrelevant content.

A ‘fresh look’ at adult literacy provision and the role it can play in poverty reduction

It is time for adult educators researchers and practitioners to take the next step and get a fresh look at adult literacy, both in terms of its scope and implementation. Various studies proofed that adult literacy can play a significant role in enhancing the quality of the lives of adults by reducing poverty. This paper does not suggest a magic formula that can be implemented irrespective of social context and realities on the ground, but it however wants to advocate for a meaningful dialogue between literacy providers and illiterate adults.

This paper is pointing out essential elements in adult literacy programmes that could ensure the reduction of poverty.

Ownership

Many adult educational programmes claim to ‘involve’ communities but it is important to examine what we mean by participation. Like most concepts, we can place ‘participation’ at a continuum that starts from ‘no consultation’ to ‘full ownership and control’ in the hands of communities.

Table 1: Continuum of Participation

1 2 3 4 5

Various studies point out the that their programmes are based on need assessments tat have been conducted with adults, but that is mainly the end of this level of consultation. Most programmes are implemented as if adult learners are homogeneous. Facilitators are often poorly trained to divert from the ‘curricula’.

Let us examine what this paper describes as participation.

Table 2: Levels of participation
Level / Activities by communities
Optimal/ highest level of participation / Communities are equal partners with the programme providers. They are guided and assisted until they are able to be in full control of the process and the product of the programme. The programme providers change role from initiator to technical and financial support.
High level of participation / Participants are involved in need assessment, curriculum design, serving on committees, provide input in learning materials
Participation / Participants are involved in the need assessment, curriculum design and serve also in committees that give feed back to the programme organisers. The control of the programme is still in the hands of the Government, NGO or Agency
Low level of participation / Communities were involved in the need assessment but not in the design of the curriculum
Passive/ lowest level of participation / Communities are not even involved in need assessments

The idea of optimal participation is not an illusion. The field of agriculture and health have taken the lead in this regard. Communities are trained how to look after water point facilities and they have taken ‘ownership’ (responsibilities) over these facilities. After proper training, the governments and other non-governmental organisations are playing a role of technical experts and render assistance where possible. In the area of health, many communities are trained how to take care of sick family members who suffer from AIDS. The epidemic has been demystified in some corners of our continent. Reports on the success of the AIDS campaign in Uganda are another example what communities can do if they take ownership of a programme.

‘Family literacy’ and ‘early child development’ are opportunities in the field of education that could expand literacy activities from ‘class’ to the ‘home’. Literacy programmes should also have practical content that could assist adults to learn more about their daily activities. Their curriculum should be flexible enough to incorporate information on their survival needs. Assistance from governments and other developmental agencies should be available to help them how to have access to means that could improve their living standards.

Participatory research

Community members should be introduced to some form of ‘inquiry’ techniques that enable them to:

·  Find out what problems their community face

·  Prioritising these learning needs

·  Analysing these needs (by determining why they face them)

·  Presenting them to the developmental agencies

There are many programmes such as the REFLECT Approach of ACTION AID has done a good job on involving community members as researchers of their own problems (Archer and Cottingham 1996)

Integrated approach

Extension workers and literacy officer that in the area of Adult Education work normally in isolation and their developmental efforts have been compartmentalised to such an extend that communities fail to see the common ground and mutual contributions. There are developmental committees that serve the district or village needs, but their mandate is so limited there is little co-ordination on the ground.