CHAPTER ONE

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1   BACKGROUND OF STUDY

Education remains the key to human development. It is seen as the driving force for meaningful developments in every human society. The goal of any educational system is to provide or develop a balanced individual capable of surviving in his environment and contributing meaningfully towards the survival of that society to which he belongs.

Adult education is one of the principal professions that can take adequate care of socio-economic, cultural political and environmental problems of the adults. The success of adult education in terms of achieving its goals as stated in the National Policy on Education (2004) cannot be over-emphasized. Adult education changes the social and psychological minds of adults more than any other profession, instills lost hope in them and liberates them from their prejudice of seeing themselves as not beings that are capable of learn.

Adult education awakens adult learners to become aware of their environmental (social, economic, cultural and political) and psychological potentials and hidden abilities. It also exerts enormous influence on the larger society in terms of national development. Adult education continues from where the teacher in the formal school system who rigorously inculcates in the individual the desire for knowledge, understanding and education stops.

Fasokun (2006) observes that: Adult education is concerned not with preparing people for life, but rather with helping/assisting people (adults) to live more successfully as useful and acceptable members of their societies and contribute meaningfully to the development of those societies. Adult education educates adult learners who are parents/guardians on the better ways of managing the available resources to achieve socio-political and economic success in their life endeavours and also make referrals which assist other individual personalities and institutions in dealing with human problems as well as the society in which they find themselves.

Adult education stands between the adult learner, the community and policy makers in human societies so much than any other professional. The adult educator knows the problems which inhibit effective adult teaching/learning and effective administration of adult education industry.

Adult education is the only profession that assists adult learners effectively in their efforts to learn. Okafor (1991) states that: Thorough knowledge of the basic principles of teaching and learning and the skills to apply those principles in teaching/learning situation, adequate knowledge of the learner and the factors that determine the quality of the learner’s response in the educative process, adequate knowledge of the value constructs that motivate the learner and the capacity to assist the learner to acquire essential attitudes and modify negative ones.

The above assertion reveals that adult education is a unique profession. Unlike every other profession adult education deals with “adult human materials” and environmental problems which give the individual a feeling of joy, fascination, pride and enthusiasm. Unlike other professionals, working with “adults” establishes enduring and infectious impressions which engenders in adult learners the practical realization of theoretical formulations inherent in adult education. Unfortunately, the adult educator in adult literacy centres receives meager pay which is not commensurate with services rendered, works in dilapidated and unstimulating environment without the necessary teaching/learning facilities.

1.2   STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Adult education plays a major role in social change. It is now widely admitted that growth will not reduce poverty unless poor people are able to actively participate in it. Such participation can become effective to a large extent through adult education. Most of the problems adult learning centers might encounter could be that the government has totally neglected these centers by not pulling in resources (resources in the aspect of finances and motivations through regular meetings) to it and thereby not encouraging the adult to learn. Finally, several researches have been carried out adult education but not even a single research has been carried out on the effect of funding adult education in Rivers State.

1.3   AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF STUDY

        The main aim of the study is to determine the effect of funding adult education. Other specific objectives of the study include:

1. to determine the factors affecting adult education in Rivers State.
2. to determine the extent to which funding affects adult education.
3. to determine the importance of adult education in Rivers State.
4. to determine the problems of financing adult education in Rivers state.
5. to proffer possible solutions to the problems.

1.4   RESEARCH QUESTIONS               

1. What are the factors affecting adult education in Rivers State?
2. What is the extent to which funding affects adult education?
3. What is the importance of adult education in Rivers State?
4. What are the problems of financing adult education in Rivers state?
5. What are possible solutions to the problems?

1.5   STATEMENT OF RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

H0          Funding has no significant effect on Adult Education in River State.

H1:                   Funding has a significant effect on Adult Education in River State.

1.6   SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY

The study on the effects of funding adult education will be of immense benefit to the entire R      iver State Government in the sense that it will enable the government to put up good structures, teaching and learning materials that will encourage the adult to learn, this is seriously necessary due to the fact that it provides adult with the necessary skills, attitudes, knowledge, values, beliefs required to trigger social and economic development of any society. More importantly, adult education yields high rates on investments and enhances labor productivity by equipping various categories of recipients with essential literacy and numeracy skills alongside health care, sanitation and nutrition knowledge that improves the peoples’ standard of living; as well as relevant skills to improve productivity. Finally, the study will contribute to the body of existing literature and knowledge to this field of study and basis for further research.

1.7   SCOPE OF STUDY

        The study on the effects of funding Adult Education is limited to the adult education centers in River State.

1.8   LIMITATION OF STUDY

Financial constraint- Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).

Time constraint- The researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. This consequently will cut down on the time devoted for the research work.

1.9   DEFINITION OF TERMS

Effects     A change which is a result or consequence of an action or other cause.

Funding   Is the act of providing financial resources, usually in the form of money, or other values such as effort or time, to finance a need, program, and project, usually by an organization or company.

Adult Education     Is a practice in which adults engage in systematic and sustained self-educating activities in order to gain new forms of knowledge, skills, attitudes, or values.