Prev
| Home | Next
India has a population
of 550 million people of whom 70 per cent are illiterate. This massive illiterate
population is the target of the National Adult Education Programme.
The policy statement identifies the literacy component as one of the most important
parts of the programme. It states that :
"The Government
has resolved to wage a clearly conceived, well-planned and
relentless struggle
against illiteracy to enable the masses to play an active role in social and culture
change. Literacy ought to be recognized as an integral part of an individual's
personality. The present thinking on adult education is based on the assumptions
(a) that illiteracy is a serious impediment to an individual's growth and to a
country's socio-economic progress ; (b) that education is not co-terminus with
schooling but takes places in most work and life situations ; (c) that learning,
working and living are inseparable and each acquires a meaning only when correlated
with the others ; (d) that the means by which people are involved in the process
of development are at least as important as the ends and (e) that the illiterate
and the poor can rise to their own liberation through literacy dialogue and action
".1
From the policy statement it is clear that the
functional aspect of literacy is
emphasized. The adult learner is expected
to use language skills as a means of communication in day to day life. As rightly
put by Pattanayak :
" Language use in the context of
Non-formal Education has assumed importance as (a) Literacy which forms an indispensable
component of Non-formal Education for adults is essentially a language related
task and (b) Language is the most important medium of communication of idea. In
the context of multiplicity of languages, dialects, styles and registers in the
country, it has not only become imperative to take a correct choice of the variety
of language to be used for instant communication, but also link this language
with the process of standardization taking place in various languages at various
levels".2
The language position in the country is
very unique. Each of the scheduled
languages has about 10 to 97 recognisable
dialects. The number of mothertongues in a state varies between 58 (Orissa) and
454 (Maharashtra) and in Union Territories between 14 (L, M and A Islands) and
210 (Himachal Pradesh). Out of the 1,652 mothertongues approximately 400 are tribal
mothertongues, most of which are unwritten. Among these, 21 languages are spoken
by 1.00.000 and above ; 4 languages spoken by 50,000 to 99,999 ; 5 languages by
40,000 to 49,999 ; 5 languages by 30,000 to 39,999 ; 6 languages by 20,000 to
29,999 ; 12 languages by 10,000 to 19,999 ; and 15 languages by 5, 000 to 9,999
of the population (Source : 1961 Census).
This fact presents
many difficulties for educators implementing a national adult education programme.
Some of these problems are : ten major writing systems and a host of minor ones,
reducing the large bulk of unwritten languages into written ones, the problem
of traditional spelling and current pronunciation in languages having a long tradition
of writing, and the problem of languages using more than one script.
This data indicates the magnitude of the tasks for people involved in adult literacy
programme. The present state in India regarding organized adult literacy programmes
is that the numaracy skills. Material is available only in regional languages.
As mentioned earlier, literacy workers are realizing a need to use the vernacular
at the initial stage, although some others feel that the vernacular should replace
the regional language altogether. This one can see three approaches to the choice
of language for instruction in an adult literacy programme in India.
a.
The first is that the standard regional language should be used for all
educational
instruction.
b. The second is that all learning should
be in the vernacular and that literature
must be developed.
c.
The third advocates the use of the vernacular only for the initial learning stages,
followed by a transfer to a standard regional language.
In a multilingual country, such as India, there is a need to consider the relationship
between language and literacy. Dr. Ashish Bose expressed this relation as follows
:
Under conditions of mass illiteracy (the literacy was
only 24 per cent in 1961) it is
the regional dialect rather than an all India
language which is important. It is
worth noting that in 1961 the educated
persons in India (Matriculates and
above) constituted less than 2 per cent
of India's population. It is this elite
group which is primarily affected
by the linguistic controversy. But with the
spread of literacy and the attainment
of universal literacy by the new
generation, it will be language and not
the local dialect which will play an
important role. It is important therefore,
to consider the relationship between
language and literacy.3
The importance of the subject is testified by its inclusion as a subject of concern
in an African conference, in February 1976, but the same policy attention has
not been given to the subject in India.
In a UNESCO document
reporting about an international survey, it was emphasized that even though they
(the new literates) must ultimately learn to think and speak and read in the regional
language, this goal is psychologically and pedagogically as a rule best achieved
by two short jumps (that is, from illiteracy to literacy in a second language)
than by one long jump (that is, from illiteracy in the mothertongue to literacy
in a second language).4
In primary school situations, and
initial exposure in vernacular followed by transferee to the regional or national
language is supported by many scientific studies.
There
are several ways of transfer. Some are outlined by Annamalai5 in a paper on "
A programme for Bilingual Education in India " for children. These are :
(a) to teach one lesson first in the mohertongue and then again in the other tongue
(b) to have the textbooks in the majority language, and the classroom
instruction
in the mothertongue.
(c) to have the textbooks
and the teaching of some subject in the majority
language and others in the
mothertongue.
The model suggested in this paper of an adult
literacy programme is as follows :
The language of initial
exposure to written language by the adult learner should
be made in his/her
own dialect. This should contain the introduction of the
alphabet and simple
reading and writing in the script of the regional or national
language.
The second stage is the change from dialect to the regional language once the
learner is able to read and write simple sentences. This should be done in
two
steps : First an oral stage of practicing speaking the regional language
andthen
reading and writing exercises.
In the case
of the adult, there is no scientific study which may validate this transfer model.
It is important now to understand characterstics of adults sop that one may understand
clearly whether the strategy proposed would work or not.
Knowles6 in his book The Modern Practice of Adult Education, Andragogy Versus
Pedogogy identifies four areas of difference-self concept, experience, readiness
to learn, and orientation to learning. He observes that the adult sees himself
as less dependant than the child and should therefore be treated with the respect
due to him by virtue of his age. He should also be involved in any plans and decisions
that affect him. The experience of an adult is more extensive and varied than
that of a child and although this very experience can be a rich source of untapped
knowledge, it could also render him less open minded! Further he discuses theories
of " Development tasks" and the " teachable moment " which
imply that as an individual goes through life at different points in time, he
would be called upon to assume different roles-students, worker, citizen, husband,
father and so on. Further, the best time to learn these tasks is when they are
just about to occur-the " teachable moment ". The point about the teachable
moment is relevant to adult education since the adult is concerned with "immediately"
in the application of recently acquired knowledge, as compared to the child who
usually must be and is content with deferred application.
From the above standpoint there is much to indicate that adults as learners may
do well when the vernacular is used at the initial stages because there will be
a closer correspondence between the written and spoken language ; also the information
read will be understood by the learners, which will motivate the learners and
reduce their anxiety regarding failure.
The major concern
at present is to make the National Adult Education Programme a success. To conclude
in words of Dr. Pattanayak :
"The difference between
home language and school language has been responsible for a good deal of wastage
and stagnation in the formal education system. If non-formal education does not
ensure instant communication and
simultaneously build bridges which would
permit a person to move into self study in the areas of his interest then the
very purpose of non-formal education would have been defeated".7
The suggested transfer model for adult literacy classes does just that.
R
E F E R E N E C E S
1. A Handbook Training of adult
education functionaries, Directorate of Adult Education, Government of India,
New Delhi, 1978. p. 1.
2 Pattanayak, D. P. "Role of
Language in the Radicalisation of Education", Paper read at the Seventh All
India Linguistic, Conference Muzaffarpur, 28-30 December, 1977. p. 16
3 Bose, Ashish " Some aspects of the linguistic demography of India "
In Language and Society in India. Simla, Indian Institute of Advanced Studies,
1969, p. 41.
4 UNESCO Conference on "Promotion of
African languages in Central and East Africa as Media of Culture and Life-long
Education" Daar-es-Salaam, 15-21 December, 1971. p. 56.
5 Annamalai, E. " A programme for Bilingual Education in India" C.I.I.L.
Mysore, p. 1.
6 Known, M. S. The Modern Practice of Adult
Education Andragogy Versus Pedagogy. New York, Association Press, 1975. PP>
39-47.
7 Pattanayak, D. P. op cit. pp. 19-20