The Nakuru County Adult and Continuing Education officer, James Wanyoike has urged area leaders and the media to double their effort in creating awareness regarding adult education.
Speaking from his office on Monday, Wanyoike said that for illiterate adults to enroll for the study in large numbers, local opinion leaders and reporters should use words that can draw their attention towards registration and embracing adult learning.
The officer said that, the use of words such as enroll for ‘Masomo ya Gumbaru’ by leaders and people in the media sector sounds discouraging, as many illiterate people feel inferior and hence shy off from joining adult classes.
He urged illiterate adult to enroll for the study in large number in a bid to acquire modern education, saying that adult learning is not only about writing and reading, but it involves many aspects of life.
Wanyoike called on Nakuru leaders and reporters to own the process of creating awareness on adult lessons in their bid to convince them enroll for adult education, which seem to have faced myriads of challenges.
“Adults shy off from enrolling for adult class whenever they hear of words like ‘Masomo ya Gumbaru’ as they feel lowered, equating it to education for people of lower ‘status’ within the society hence opting to stay away,” observed Wanyoike.
He also noted that adults see no need for learning, where they question themselves whether they will secure formal employment in future upon completion of their study, little did they know that education is not all about securing formal employment.
He added that since many unemployed, educated youths have ventured into businesses, getting even volunteer teachers has become so difficult.
Despite the challenges, Wanyoike appealed to the illiterate adults to develop interest and enroll for the study, while pointing out that without education one can go nowhere.
“To prosper in the current dynamic world, everything revolves around education,” added the officer.
He further advised illiterate adults to develop impetus for education, adding that roots of education are bitter but the fruit is sweet.
“Education is the best friend, an educated person is respected everywhere, and education beats the beauty and the young,” observed Wanyoike.