THE IMPACT OF ACCESS TO INFORMATION ON ADULT EDUCATION IN UGANDA
Uganda is historically a high population location in Eastern part of Africa they have also poor literacy ratings especially among adults ages 15 to 60 and above. A large numbers of adults in their society are even illiterate they do not have the basic school participation although they have learn to practice simple agricultural and livelihood they have also gain education during Arab and European colonization period. Natives have learned to acquire skills and informal literacy in carpentry, agricultural development, masonry, arts, crafts and other skills. Adult education is limited because most of foreign colonial explorers have taught them only labor skills. However during 1945 to 1962 Christian and Islamic missionaries during the independence brought Uganda and in their society basic education system that they have adopted. In 1946 their government has also included adult education program as a part of Public Relation and Social Welfare Development initiative, it was then that the adult and out of school youth has been given the opportunity to join the education system in Uganda.
One of their latest programs for adult is “The National Literacy Strategic Investment Plan” (NALSIP of 2002 to 2007) their target is to bring 50% literacy rate to more than 7 million illiterate adult population although their priority is still the children in formal schools. They also have provision for women and girl out of school youth. This program is a part of their commitment to strengthen education that will empower adults to be a part of successful community development that they themselves can improve the quality of their lives through education. The government and their agencies have provided basic adult education program to their people through Adult Learning Education (ALE) Proficiency in reading and writing, Functional Adult Literacy (FAL), gender perspective program and many other program especially designed for adult education.
Government of Uganda have been continuously committing themselves to provide a long lasting education that can impact a great advancement to their people and in the 21st century they have also included Information and Communication Technology in their Schools and Universities to provide competitive knowledge based education system to their adult enrollees although this program has not been fully implemented nationwide. Through this they believed that innovation and competitive education will bring significant and strategic development in a diversified component. Presently they have four Universities who have information and communication technology courses while they have also expanded non formal education for Functional Adult Literacy they are also beginning to include basic computer literacy skills. Generally the access to information and communication technology has slowly been introduced to non formal sector and adult learners in the 21st century.
Information and Communication Technology is also a part o the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) in Jamaica, Bolivia, Zambia, Ghana, Tanzania, Burkina Faso and Uganda. Adult learners including teaches have felt improved and empowered in the discovery of this God given technology and any use of computers whether offline and online provides extra knowledge and appreciation to their students they have enjoyed this new forms of technology and today adults and youths alike have already learn to use computer for their communication, social networking, research and development. The community in Uganda has been participating in this new form of technology that even out of school youth women have been using computers in their engagement the use of computer shops as a means of their usual access. As of today they believed that Uganda has one of the highest ICT education literacy in Africa that reaches up to 50% of adult ages 15 and up have been using computers although according to survey they still have an illiteracy rate of 30% on their population (CIA World Fact book of 2006). Generally the informal institution and the adult learners believed to consider ICT to impact a great deal in their knowledge that the opening of ICT in Uganda during the 21st century has provided the following to adult education;
· Information and Communication Technology (ICT) inclusion to their curriculum improved the quality of education in formal and non formal level because of audio visual approach in learning using computers.
· ICT Reduces illiteracy rates among adults as much as 50% they are now able to access lessons to their advantage and interact with people al around the world.
· ICT eliminates education barriers that education is now open to all ages as long as there is computers even disable individual can learn their lessons.
· ICT also provide ease of teaching methods and act like a teacher support.
· ICT has brought many professionals to increase competitive advantage to employability, locally and internationally. They have also produced global experts in technology to meet the challenges of globalized economy.
References:
http://www.iiz-dvv.de/index.php?article_id=172&clang=1
http://www.ibe.unesco.org/International/ICE47/English/Natreps/reports/uganda_rev.pdf http://www.unesco.org/fileadmin/MULTIMEDIA/INSTITUTES/UIL/confintea/pdf/NationalReports/Africa/Africa/Uganda.pdf // http://www.iicd.org/files/icts-for-education.pdf
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