Division of Adult and Continuing Education embarks on new initiatives

Hugh Wyllie Director, Division of Adult and Continuing Education 19.JAN.07

New Year greetings to one and all from the Office of the Division of Adult and Continuing Education. The National Literacy Crusade project ended on December 31st, 2006, but for us at Adult Education, 2007 has ushered another even more exciting phase of our mission. This year we intend not only to continue and even intensify our war on illiteracy, but to embark on the following initiatives.{{more}}

• Provide opportunities for academic upgrading for those adults out side of the formal system who want to sit GCE/CXC examinations.

• Provide special programmes, in collaboration with other ministries and departments for special groups including farmers, fisher folks, youth, women construction workers, persons in the hospitality and tourism industries, seamen etc.

• General community education in collaboration with the relevant agencies on subjects such as

• Disaster preparedness (NEMO)
• HIV and AIDS

• National Insurance (NIS)
• Waste Disposal and Vector Control
• Nutrition

• Entrepreneurship and small business management (CED)
• Environmental issues.

• Training at least to diploma level in areas related to the delivery of Adult Education and particularly Adult Literacy.

• The division now has oversight of the Learning Resource Centres. We shall endeavour to make maximum use of these facilitates, ensuring that they become vital hubs of education activities in the various zones.

• The division intends to promote and, as much as possible with the available resources, deliver ICT programmes across the country.

• Programmes in civics and good citizenship.

We at the Division of Adult and Continuing Education take our responsibility very seriously. We recognise like Harbinson 1973, that ‘it is the development of human resources not capital, nor income, nor material resources which constitute the ultimate basis for the wealth of nations’. Our potential clientele is numerically greater than that of the formal system, and we intend to provide opportunity for all our people to improve themselves. Our radio programmes will begin shortly and the public will hear more about our plans for 2007 and beyond.

I wish everyone a blessed 2007.