Abstract:
This study drew attention to the strategic necessity of the Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) programme in equipping historically disadvantaged communities with basic numeracy, reading and writing skills. The Department of Basic Education regards the ABET programme as the vehicle on which individuals historically excluded from formal schooling life access basic education and skills that help them to be active agents of socio-economic change in their communities.
Whilst the ABET programme’s broad objectives have been properly conceptualised and institutionalised, the central concern of this study is that little effort may have been invested by the Department of Basic Education to qualitatively assess the state of ABET programmes in rural-based Public Adult Learning Centres (PALCs) like Laaste Hoop. In order to ensure the Department of Basic Education recoup best returns from every effort invested in the ABET programme at Laaste Hoop PALC such an assessment is imperative. This study employed the qualitative method and a case study design to examine the state of the ABET programme offered at Laaste Hoop PALC. Using the purposive sampling method, ten participants comprising one member of the centre’s Governing Body, six learners, the centre manager and two facilitators were selected to participate in the study.
The main finding of this study is that the Laaste Hoop PALC is struggling to effectively fulfil its broad mandate due to poor budgetary support from the
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Department of Basic Education. The study found that the Laaste Hoop PALC is generally in a state of neglect as the infrastructure is in an advanced state of dilapidation. The main recommendation of the study is that the Department of Basic Education needs to launch a targeted fundraising campaign in order to improve the operating and financial leverage of the centre.
Key words: ABET programme; adult literacy; numeracy; functional literacy.
