There are an estimated 7,5-million illiterate adults in South Africa, but the number of adults who are poorly educated and ill-equipped to participate in our economy is much higher. But even for those who can, there is little to read.
The recent Department of Education policy document and the multi-year plans released by the department’s adult education directorate indicate its commitment to adult education and training, but this is not reflected in the miniscule budget allocated to the issue.
Books play a central role in adult education. Without increasing exposure and access to books in both formal (for example, in public adult learning centres and industry classes) and non-formal contexts (for example, in libraries and homes), there is little hope that illiteracy can be beaten.
The adult education curriculum is new and still evolving, and books offer educators an authoritative resource to draw on. Now more than ever, with the development of the new curriculum, educators and learners need the support of a greater variety of high-quality resources that support a range of methods and approaches.
Although publishers have made a range of accessible reading materials available for adult education, these books will not reach their intended audience unless more funds are allocated by the provincial education departments.