Education remains an important tool for social change and social transformation. The problems facing mankind are now so complex that new roles and forms of education are required. Faure et al (1972) stresses the urgency of human situation. If school learning is insufficient, post-school supplements must be devised.

Faure et al. expressed the new vision of society in the notion of "The learning society". A learning society implies that every citizen should have the means of learning, training and cultivating himself, truly available to him, under all circumstances........ . This view of the learning society is very much the view of highly industrialized countries. Education has different functions in creating the learning society from the point of view of countries in. less advanced stages of development in order to contribute to the society by helping the individual to become a more productive member.

Learning society is a comprehensive concept which includes formal, non-formal and informal learning extended throughout the life span of an individual for all-round development of the individual in the context of full societal development. Learning society is a product and the process is continuing education.

Continuing education means providing lifelong education to all, literate and nonliterate by vocational courses, night schools, distance education and by media.

Here in the present study continuing education is seen as continuing education for adults and for those who drop out of the school.

Education Scene:

The focus of learning society is on universal enrolment of all children. Since independence, there has been substantial increase in enrolment at all levels of education. Enrolment at the primary stage increased five folds. However drop-out rates, inspite of a declining level, continue to be high. Nearly half the children who enter class I drop out before reaching class V, and two-thirds of the children before reaching class VIII. Regional, gender and socio-economic disparities are conspicuous in regard to drop-put rates. The drop-out rates of girls are higher than boys at all levels. Equal and proportionate participation in the education by the weaker sections may be planned. The education for the disadvantaged groups be strengthened.

Target groups for creating learning society:

Children in the age group of 6-14 years (60% of them are girls). Adult illiterates in the age group of 15-35 years (60% are women). This is not the exclusive concern for the school system rather planning diverse learning opportunities as a dynamic, cumulative lifelong process applying to all the people, but laying special stress on neglected and weaker sections of the society.

The fundamental long-term objective of the continuing education is to make the neo-literates self reliant as earl), as possible so that their dependence on volunteer-teacher ceases, and they themselves employ their acquired skills to pursue Vocations of their choice, translate into practice their fundamental rights, develop a scientific and rational temper of mind, and participate in continuing education in building the democratic citizenship In the entire process of CE, The TLC is a phase of guided instruction, while the PLC - through combination or guided teaching and unstructured learning - moves towards the final objective of releasing the learners from dependence on guidance from out side - in other words, their self-reliance. pa Following the completion of TLC phase, there is a mixed crop of 'Learners that the programme yields.

Various kind of learners	Activities needed
a) Learners who could not be covered - left outs	mopping up operation
b) Drop cuts from the formal left outs	Registration planning remedial courses
Completion of the three primers but could not attain the NLM norms	remedial classes
Candidates ready for the self-learning	arrangement for learning of material (library) and platform for discussion

Activities needed for CE:

Emphasis must be based on unstructured and unguided learning process where by the neo-literates would learn to choose their own reading materials and write on their own. Broadsheets and newspapers for adult learners, especially created for reading clusters and library, (JSN) are to be encouraged.

JSN : Position

Preraks:

They are available in adequate number. Usually the preraks are educationally qualified for the job and need special orientation towards community development and be trained to take up the work for the various phases of adult literacy. Most of the preraks are young (below 25 years) . They comprise students and those who have just completed schooling. They are usually 10+2 passed from the village school or nearby school under the new stream of 10+2 system of education. Usually girls volunteer for community and continuing education work. These girls can continue their education by distance education mode and can be given employment thereby institutionalising this process for community education. Even diploma of community education from IGNOU, New Delhi can benefit them for providing required leadership. Courses in adult literacy may also be planned by IGNOU or distance education departments of State Universities. Due to their inadequate training coupled with nil financial returns, they take it as a make-shift arrangement. Preraks in 25-34 years age group are also quite good in number (34%) . They are mature preraks and are usually from teaching community or unemployed teachers. They are less enthusiastic about the programme and need stronger reorientation towards adult literacy (adult learning psychology, adult environment, adult memory and retention) and community education) They are more accepted as authority considering their say in the community. They are still at the stage of exchange of information or material and are not capable of working as local resource persons giving boost to local developments and the rationale of scientific thinking, appreciation of technology and environment organisation for learning. One third of the preraks were of more than 35 years age. They have ample of time with them. They are universally acceptable among both the sexes and society as regard their opinion and advice yet they are effective in limited sense being lacking positive attitude towards community education and equipped with lesser knowledge of adult psychology. They usually wrongly apply children teaching methodology to adults. Whether volunteerism is the right philosophy chosen for adult literacy is the crucial question to be analysed at length in the light of the feed back from the field. Remuneration decidedly considered as a social motive may be kept in mind while considering volunterism as a philosophy for adult literacy.

For the preparation of preraks, they should be trained and fees be reimbursed by the State Education Authority or DAE or MHRD.

OCCUPATION OF THE PRERAKS:

Preraks are teachers, students, unemployed youth, housewives and anganwadi women. Most of them are passive and hardly discuss anything with the neo-literates. Anganwadi worker be trained for adult literacy both they can act as multipurpose workers in the rural areas because they are familiar with children and parents

It has been observed that only ten percent of the JCK's have good number of learners enrolled with them.

About 50% of the preraks sixteen percent are matric. 10+2 qualified. one of every four preraks are graduate. Most of them have qualified these examinations privately through distance education or going to college travelling out of villages. The volunteer take up this job on part time basis before they get married or take some other job.

Most of them are of the opinion that their jobs will be regularized with financial benefits as of Anganwadi workers or other community workers. They foresee that government schemes are never closed and that their service will be regularized some day.

TIMINGS OF JCK's:

Early evenings is the popular time when learners can spare time to visit the JCK's and exchange views.

JCK'AS PLATFORMS FOR DISCUSSION:

The JCK's provide the place for exchange of materials and interaction of the neo-literates among themselves. The role of preraks in this discussion acting as leader is of limited value and the prerak needs to be strengthened in this direction.

ACHIEVING SELF-RELIANCE:

The learners have acquired the necessary skills but still they are not self reliant if they have to go to primary health center of their own, they don't know whom to meet and how to read different kinds of terms, they need help to read the prescription and the sign boards.

Some of the learners have cleared class V examination. Most of them were in age group 25-45 years. It is suggested that National Open School which conducts class X and XII correspondence course may start it for Vth class also so that adult learners in the younger age groups can acquire certificate.

VOCATIONAL COURSES:

The stitching and knitting classes are popular in the PLC centers. The girls are learning stitching clothes. It has become source of income or they can now save money earlier being spent on stitching.

Parents are more conscious about the study of their wards, drop out rate has decreased in the schools.

LIBRARY AND READING MATERIAL:

The concept of rural library is newly emerged idea. It should be continually organised by the local community or the state. The content of the newsletter must be at the understanding level of neoliterates which should be interwoven around the occupational needs of the villagers. Stitching, dairy farming and agriculture must be identified and the learning material linked with them. It can be planned in the near future that adult education in its new perspective may be included in the curriculum as a subject at the plus two, degree and teacher training level.

The high and middle level functionaries must be fully trained to guide the preraks and the people at large about the various aspects of adult literacy.

The qualitative output of the PLC must be continuously monitored and assessed keeping in mind outputs like change in attitudes, changes in practices pertaining to scientific tamper like recording weight of children, opening accounts in banks and post office, information about local conditions and helping children in their home work.

Record keeping and MIS:

It has been observed that records kept are poor. A true longitudinal recording of characteristics of learners. volunteers and their achievement is needed for planning accountable system of adult literacy.

Keeping in mind the above said field observations about the role and status of adult literacy (CE) it is imperative for creating learning society to foresee and plan the continuing education especially adult literacy at large on concrete basis to make it a successful programme to fulfil the demands of the coming times. Every society educates its people through culture and communication in layers of sub cultures in tight compartments but the concept of learning society presupposes the breaking of these tight compartments to build on egalitarian society based on social Justice.

REFERENCES:

1. The role of Jan Shikshan Nilayamas in continuing Education. Literary Mission newsletter. Vol. XIX, No. 9, Nov. 1995, pp. 15-19.

2. Guidelines for Post literacy Campaign - a Summary literacy mission, Oct. 1994, pp. 12-18.

3. Vohra, Amarjit Singh. A brief Report on LIterary and Post Literacy Campaigns in India. Literary Mission, May 2995, pp. 6-8.

4. Mathew, A. Conclude you may: we will continue learning: A leaf out of Pune PLC and an issue for CEW. Lilterary Mission August 1995, Vol. XIX, No. 6, pp. 15-20.

5. Raiasekhar, A.M. Literary and Post Literary Campaigns in India. Literary Mission, Vol. XVIII, No. 11, Nov-Dec 1994, pp. 35-37.

6. Directorate of Adult Education. Document No. F. 16-8/93 DAE-PL. Sub: Guidelines on Book for post literary barckqround paper.

7. Project Report for Post Literary Campaign in District Hoshiarpur (Punjab) 1995-97. District Literacy Society., Zila Parishad Complex - Hoshiarpur.

8. Seetharamu, A.S. Literacy Campaigns in India. APH Publishing Corporate, New Delhi 1997.

9. Pate!-, T la. Evaluation of adult education programmes in India, Indian Journal of Adult Education, April-June 1996, pp.28-33.

10. Faure, E. et al. Learning to be: The world of Education Today, and Tomorrow. Parts: UNESCO; Education Harrip, 1972.

Contact Info:

Manjeet Ahluwalia
Regional Resource Centre for Adult & Continuing Education
Panjab University, Chandigarh-160014.