The experience in the field of Adult Education in India, as those of several other countries, shows that in the absence of a learning environment and effective programmes of post literacy and continuing education the efforts made in the literacy programmes yield extremely limited results. As is known learning or education is continous process and there is no end to it which is more so in this age of rapid technological and scientific advancement. Therefore continuing education is a need of the hour for meeting the challenges of diverse livelihood. In India NLM has designed a scheme of continuing education for neo-litrates. It goes beyond post literacy campaign which provide the point of "take off" in a continuing education system.

Continuing Education by definition is the provision of opportunities for the people to continue their learning. If Continuing Education is to facilitate the development of learning society, then society must provide a rich educational environment with a wide range of diverse resources and opportunities for learning not only through formal system but also through the informal system. Continuing education not only depends on the literacy skills of people, it also rests on the provision of resources and opportunities for further learning. The richer and more diversify the learning environment the greater will be opportunity for Continuing Education. The informal system has an important role in this regard.

Continuing Education can utilise the non-formal education procedures but the two are not identical. The non-formal system is an alternative provision to help educationally deprived adults to reach standards that are equivalent to those in the formal sector. But Continuing education is a provision for life-long education to enrich their standard of living and to equip them for meeting the challenges of their livelihood.

It was considered that science and technology would flow from formal education. But in reality the societal level of understanding remained far below the level as thought of in the beginning. It only multiplied the number of trained people in science and technical education.

It is surprising to note that this elite group of people living in isolation from the whole society never felt any urge to disseminate knowledge for keeping the society conscious. Except a few individualistic approach, there was no concerted effort made in this directions in its education policy including science education as well continuing.

The objective of non-formal education would faster spirit of inquiry and create scientific temper through experience and action oriented programmes -- and by evolving a science culture which would enable the society to appreciate and understand science and technology growth. Continuing education is a process by which the life long needs of the individuals are achieved. There is a need to learn continuously through-out life whether for continuous replenishment of knowledge for personal and professional progress, for gaining experience, or for the effective discharge of civic functions including casting of votes in elections. The purpose of continuing education are as follows:

To consolidate and stabilise the skills gained by semi-literates and neo-literates so that they become adequately functional literates;

To create scope for application of functional literacy in meeting the day to day needs of social intercourses;

To disseminate information on development programmes so as to ensure the participation of people in the development programmes.

To create awareness about national concerns such as national integration, conservation and improvement of the environment, women's equality, observance of small family norms, etc; and

To organise short-duration training programmes and orientation courses for providing vocational skills for improving productivity and economic conditions of people.

Unless there are no systematic programmes of continuing education for different categories, there is a little scope for a learning society. The following continuing education programme are suggestive for different categories of neo-literates whose needs are varied:

Post-literacy and Remedial programmes for neo-literates and semi-literates;

General basic education programmes for rural and urban communities;

Developmental types of programmes for workers, parents, house wives, husbands etc.;

Employment oriented programmes for unemployed youth;

Future oriented programmes for workers, professionals, villagers etc. and

Basic vocational programmes for rural and urban communities.

Continuing education centres may be established as permanent centres for continuing education to broadly function as provides of the following facilities :-

(a) Library - A repository of learning materials.

(b) Reading room - A place to encourage reading habit. Reading habit has assumed added importance in this age of innovations which has been occurring almost daily.

(c) Learning Centre - A provider of continuing education programmes.

(d) Training Centre - For short duration training programmes to up-grade skills.

(e) Charcha, Mandal - Community meeting place for sharing ideas and solving problems.

(f) Information Centre - For securing information on various development programmes.

(g) Development Centres - For co-ordinating services of Government agencies and NGOs.

Cultural and sports centres - A place for activities, recreation and healthy living.

Continuing education has assumed added value in view of TIC and PIC to enable the Neo-literates to retain, improve and apply their basic knowledge and skills acquired for satisfaction of their basic needs and facilitate continued learning for improvement of the quality of their life. Equivalency programmes are another types of Counting education.

Income generating programmes are important type of Continuing education which help participants to acquire or upgrade vocational skills and enable them to conduct income generating activities. Literacy campaigns have resulted in growing aspirations of people to improve their living conditions which can be achieved through TIC, PIC and continuing education programmes. Programmes concerned only with reading, writing and calculating have little meaning unless it is put on functional literacy which can be done by Developmental of continuing education programmes by imparting individuals gather capacities as workers, parents, and community members etc. Giving individuals opportunities to participate and learn about their choice social, cultural, spiritual, health, physical and artistic interests. Unemployed people who have some basic literacy but lack sufficient skill for employment should take advantage of the Counting education Programme to acquire the required skill for employment. Future oriented programmes under Counting Education endeavour to give new skills, knowledge and techniques to workers, professionals, villagers and business-man etc. and adapt themselves for growing social and technological changes that would be required for meeting the challenges of diverse livelihood.

Use of Continuing Education programmes for better transfer of technology for economic and social development and for coping successful with social and professional problems and for meeting the challenges of diverse livelihood should be a key priority of our planners and those who are engaged in literacy movement. Counting learning is poised to equip our potential manpower, to meet squairely the challenges of the coming days which would be the days of rapid technological and scientific changes and advancement. They would be able to develop an integrated personality, with a desire to seek , learn and perform better at every level.

Contact Info:

Shri Arabindo Sen
Director
Shramik Vidyapeeth Silchar