SOME THOUGHTS ON ADULT EDUCATIONAuthor(s): H. L WYNTERSource: Caribbean Quarterly, Vol. 10, No. 1 (March, 1964), pp. 62-63Published by: University of the West Indies and Caribbean QuarterlyStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/40652882 .

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Commentary SOME THOUGHTS ON ADULT EDUCATION H. L WYNTER

ADULT Education is an over-used term. In fact, not one day passes but someone somewhere is discussing it. For the West Indies, however, it is by no means over-used in any respect.

Young countries have, above all, the problem oí accommodating themselves to ideas which were conceived and developed hi older countries. Not only have the new countries got to accommodate them- selves toi these new ideas but they have to do this so successfully that they can follow them, and at the same time develop new ideas to suit their particular needs.

The fact that many of these new countries achieve their national identity not through decades of military struggle against metropoli- tan countries - a struggle which unifies a people - but through the post- war international abhorrence of colonialism, means that inevitably there is a gap in every society between those called upon to lead and the 'many who have to follow. The lack of a plentiful supply of trained men, the lack of an indigenous culture, the lack of physical resources, tend to minimise the unifying effect of a growing national identity. Consequently, in such societies there is need for a vigorous, dynamic, courageous and objective campaign to reduce the gap between the small educated class and the larger, sometimes articulate, but gen- erally uneducated group.

This is where adult education by its very nature has a vital role. And yet if we are not) careful, it is possible in adult education for us to carry out the biblical injunction "that to him that hath shall be given," for it is much easier to follow the British practice of organising classes for those who already have education (because in effect these are the persons who demand the classes) than it is to organise pro- grammes which would reach the majority of the population.

It seems therefore that for any adult education programme to be effective it has to be a programme which would mobilise all the forces in the society. In other words, it must be one hi which Gov- ernment, private organisations, university, schools and others will play a prominent part hi a coordinated programme.

In Dominica such a programme has been launched and the University's Resident Tutor has been able to cooperate fully and to give inspiration to the campaign. It is gratifying to record also the keen interest of the Government of Antigua hi Adult Education and at this point to make it clear that any adult education programme has to be drawn up in the light of the needs of a particular territory. In other words, the fact that a certain programme has great success in Dominica will not mean that it will have similar success in St. Kitts or in Nevis. For while generally the problem Is roughly the same in adult education hi most of the Caribbean territories, each island has its particular attributes and assets which modify the approach to solving the problem.

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It is fairly true to say that the most pressing need in the area is that of development. And development on all fronts. As one writer has said, the older communities of Europe had the advantage of time on their side when they became nations. Consequently they were able to tackle one problem after the other when they came up. In the case of the new countries in this century, new discoveries and the worlds conscience has identified the problems as existing at the same time. Thus for example the West Indies have to solve the problem of economic development at the same time as the problem of social in- equalities, racial prejudices, colour prejudices and over-population. Democracy - or rather the British pattern of two-party democracy while helping with the popularization of the problems, and while accepted in the area as a "good principle" is hi itself a problem to be solved. The keenness of á periodical two party appeal to the elec- torate means that very often short-term solutions to problems - are tried when only long-term unpopular actions can solve problems which for centuries had proved intractable to the colonial power. It is not insignificant that hi a number of the new countries in the African Continent constitutional means have been sought to prevent democratic discussion from impeding, economic and other development. Indeed some countries have adopted undemocratic measures in order to protect their new democracies- a paradox in logic and theory, but at least a solution to a very difficult problem.

In terms of practical politics, democracy must be defined as a means whereby the people of the country can unmistakably indicate by which group of men and in which way they wish then* country to be governed. For the people to understand fully the nature of their problems, for them to appreciate that solutions may not be easy, and that in many cases their efforts and their government's efforts will only help to solve the problems for their grand-children, for them to begin thinking in terms of decades instead of in months and weeks, Adult Education programmes must be prepared to provide the information, the enlightenment and the understanding.

That is why although one welcomes the University's decision at the Antigua Conference that the Extra-Mural Department should aim on the one hand at teaching on the curriculum of the Colleges of Arts and Science, we were even more delighted at the decision to intensify lectures and programmes on community development, public administration, social welfare, political education, citizenship, trade unionism, international affairs, and so on.

The University with its resources of talent cannot ignore the problems of fundamental education- literacy, communication, atti- tude to community, leadership training, youth; work and so on. At the same time it cannot arrogate unto itself responsibility in this very important field of Government activity. Partnership is therefore of the greatest necessity, and the signs throughout the area point to an encouraging, challenging period of partnership between Govern- ments and the University in Adult Education.

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