Welcome To Adult Education and Community Development
Following the introduction of the country’s development policy, different GOs & NGOs organized various development and training centers like Community Skill Training Center (CSTC), Farmers Training Center (FTC), centers working on health and agriculture that support the realization of development goals. Such development organizations are in a dire need of experts who can integrate education and development activities to meet the national development goals.
Moreover, adults constitute 50 percent of Ethiopia’s population. The majority (58%) of these adults cannot read and write (UNESCO 2006). Creating an environment for developing adults’ life skills and various competencies is necessary to develop a sustainable knowledge society. To meet this objective, adult education professionals and institutions are indispensable elements.
Recently the government gave due attention to adult education as it is one of the instruments for implementation of development and transformation plan. With this regard, MOE (2008:17) stresses the importance of building capacity of adult education facilitators, supervisors and other experts. Therefore, providing the capacity building training for supervisors and experts assigned for adult education at federal, regional and woreda levels in higher education institutions is emphasized as one strategy. Academicians in Universities and training institutions are encouraged to carry out research in sub-sector and train experts properly to enable them to contribute in strengthening adult education.
Furthermore, MOE (2009:25) expresses that universities and institutions are encouraged and supported to establish adult education training programs and to provide training for experts in the field.
Hence, for the realization of the National Adult Education Strategy as well as integrating adult education with the country’s development endeavors, it is important to produce adult educators who plan and manage both adult education and community development programs.
Adult Education and Community Development Department |