Innovation in adult education

If the country has to develop in an inclusive manner it will have to begin by improving the lot of the family, and that too by educating the fulcrum of the family i.e. the womenfolk. An educated mother is an educated nation in the long run, that is what we have to keep in mind. And the nation will become self-reliant only when each of the families in Bangladesh becomes self-reliant with the eventual ripple effect positively impacting on the entire nation.

The example of a group of women in a remote village in Jessore having surpassed their husbands as the main bread earner for their family, as a result of the training imparted by the adult education centers, so aptly named Hashimukh Ganokendra, highlights the need for innovation in our approach to adult education. This would not only teach a person the ways of the three 'R's but also, more importantly, impart them the necessary know-how through their teachings that would allow them to use the knowledge to generate income for them.

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An important feature of the approach, we feel, is taking up subjects, the knowledge on which not only helps add to the family income, more importantly, by imparting necessary skills and awareness on various issues like social forestry, sewerage, use of fuel efficient ovens, it also helps improve the quality of life by improving the living environment of every home in the village.

The innovative approach taken that has helped transform the lives of the women folk of the country, needs to be replicated everywhere else in Bangladesh too. After all, if the adult education system cannot prepare the trainees to augment their income and improve the condition of their lives, one wonders whether it is worth the money or the time?