A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the requirements for the Award
of the Degree of Master of Research and Public Policy (MRPP) of Mzumbe
University
This study assessed the accessibility of formal adult education in rural areas specifically
in Mvomero district. The study aim was based on assessing availability of adult
education centres and learners, adequacy of adult facilitators, availability of learning
materials and learning infrastructure and looking at how government officials enhance of
the accessibility of adult education in the district. The study used structured interviews
and focus group discussion during data collection. The purposive sampling selected 23
respondents where 5 respondents were selected from government officials in the
department of education in the district, 4 adult education facilitators from four wards and
14 adult learners. Content analysis was used in analysing the collected data and findings
were presented through text and narration.
The findings reveal that, the district provides an adult education programme in a few
centers where there is a long distance from one center to another, and actual number of
enrolments stand by 1071 adult learners currently. The programme lack adequate
facilitators where there are only 8 facilitators running the programme and 6 out of them
are volunteering in different centers. Also, the study found of lack learning materials and
learning infrastructure where in all centers visited by the researcher lack books,
curriculum and in some centers there are neither classrooms nor desks for adult learners.
Government officials in the district try to ensure the accessibility by finding solutions to
the challenges facing the programme, like establishing centers in areas where there is no
center and using primary school teachers as facilitators in areas where there is no
facilitators.
There are the needs of the government to put more emphasis on the programme. The
policy requires all education and training institutions in the country to designate adult
centers, but few institutions implement that, the government must ensure also in the
policy stipulate on how different learning institutions must coordinate the
implementation of the programme and there is the need to engage other stakeholders like
private and civil society organization in the implementation of the programme.
Education can bring changes and development without investing in education especially,
in adult education it will be difficult for the government to realize its development plans.