Evaluation of Adult Education in Tanzania: A Status Report

Abstract

Since the start of the second Five Year Plan (1969-74) in Tanzania, the national focus has been on developing and extending adult education (largely literacy) in general, and rural programs in particular. Systematic program evaluation is needed 50 that scarce human and financial resources can be used effectively without needless duplication of past efforts and mistakes. The work oriented literacy project launched at Mwanza in 1967 is presently the only place in Tanzania where large scale evaluation of adult education activities is occurring. However, the Institute of Adult Education at the University of Dar es Salaam has begun evaluating the operation of the "Uchaguzi ni wako" radio citizen education study groups, together with provisions for adult educator training and the problems these educators encounter in the field. Irregular attendance and high dropout rates are a major weakness in literacy teacher training programs; failure of adult education in general to attract youth is another problem. There is evidence that adult education can be most easily organized within a framework of existing village systems and social relationships and that literacy education is not necessarily a prerequisite for rural adult education. (Six references are included.) (LY)