Adult education is the method of imparting education to adult and elderly people who failed to receive their basic education during their childhood. The attempt of imparting adult education in India has come into the spotlight over the past several years.
Adult education is the major step in building an educated nation. The foremost thing to do before holding classes on adult education is that the adult must realize the importance of education otherwise they won’t understand the need for education. Education is one of the building blocks for making a nation strong. Therefore adult education is encouraged on a large scale in India.
This education is mainly provided at night schools and it is found in almost all Indian cities and villages. This education is imparted at night because most people are busy working with their respective jobs during the day. In addition to the night schools, the Government of India had also set up some libraries so that the adults could get more facilities.
Adult education is the prime responsibility of the Government, as the eradication of illiteracy has been one of the major national concerns of the Government of India since independence. In 1952 the government under the community development program launched the program of social education.
Recently the government has launched the program known as National Literacy Mission (NLM) for spreading adult education in India. The main aim of this program is to spread literacy, extension, general education, and social consciousness.
Various plans have been made for providing adult education in India.
It is true that democracy without education is meaningless. Education can only raise a nation to the height of its innate ability to grow to greatness. Unluckily the state of education in India is not only distressing but disgraceful also as presently about 60% of people in India are illiterate. Compulsory and free primary education is the only remedy to the problem of illiteracy.
Adult education is required because it is a powerful support and a necessary motivation for primary education. Without the active support of adults, no program of compulsory universal education can become successful. Hence it is very important that educational facilities should be provided to adults.
Adult education is the education for grown-up men and women who are above eighteen years. It includes all activities with an educational purpose that they can later use to pursue as a career. Adult education is given on a part-time basis; therefore one can work can take up a regular job simultaneously.
Maulana Azad re-framed the concept of Adult education for preparing every citizen to lead an independent life. In our country, adult education is imparted in two aspects: (1) Adult Literacy i.e. education for those adults who never had schooling before; and, (2) Continuation education i.e. education for those adults who had some schooling before.
