MPs want age limit for adult education lifted

Apr 16, 2015

MPs on the parliamentary committee on gender, labour and social development, have asked government to revise the age limit for people being enrolled for adult education

By Henry Sekanjako

 

MPs on the parliamentary committee on gender, labour and social development, have asked government to revise the age limit for people being enrolled for adult education. The MPs want the age lifted from the current 15 years to at least 20 years.

 

According to the MPs, people aged 15 years, are young enough to enroll for formal education than the adult literacy program.

 

“Why should you target people aged 15, these are young people who can still go and attain education through the Universal primary and secondary education, we should only cater for old people,” said Dorothy Nshaija the Kamwenge district woman MP.

 

Discussing the Uganda national adult literacy policy on Thursday, ministry of gender officials led by state minister for Gender Rukia Nakadama, told MPs that under the policy government was targeting Ugandans aged 15 years and above who missed out from formal education or dropped out of school.

 

“Under this policy, emphasis will be on women, persons with special learning needs, indigenous communities and people living in hard to reach areas,” said Steven Okello the Principal community development officer ministry of gender.

 

The MPs however commended the government for the literacy program, saying it has enabled many illiterate Ugandans acquire skills on reading and writing.

 

“Many people whom have gone through this program have greatly improved their communication and writing skills, in my district some of these people are now councilors,” said Phyllis Chemutai the Kapchorwa district woman MP.

 

Statistics by the gender ministry indicate that 6.9 million Ugandans (1.4 million men and 5.5 million women) aged 18 years and above are unable to read, write and calculate with understanding.

 

The ministry explained that in rural and urban areas, literacy rates are 93% and 7% respectively. Among the older persons 80% of women are illiterate compared to 41% of men.

 

The ministry however opposed the proposal by the committee that the age of adult education be lifted from 15 years to 20 saying there was need to target child mothers who drop out of school at 11 and 13 years due to early pregnancies.

 

“ You cannot say that 15 years is too low, do you know most of the girls drop out of school as early as 13 years, most of these children don’t want to go back to classrooms, they feel ashamed, so the only way they can acquire education is through adult literacy,” said Nakadama.

 

The ministry decried the inadequate funding towards the National action plan for adult literacy which they said has not been fully implemented due to lack of enough funds.

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