Don identifies continuing education as tool to reducing illiteracy

Deborah Egunyomi, Professor of Continuing Education in the University of Ibadan, stated continuing education remained the most powerful education strategy for reducing the nation’s growing rate of illiteracy during an inaugural lecture she delivered on Thursday evening entitled: “Balancing Life Equation with Continuing Education’’.

‎According to her, the Global Monitoring Report on Education-for-All (EFA) of 2012, rated Nigeria as one of the two countries; the other being Egypt with the largest number of illiterates in Africa.

“The number of out-of-school children in Nigeria has increased from 7.4 million in 2000 to 10.5 million in 2010.

“By this, the country is now home to the largest number of out-of school children in the world and presents one in six out-of-school children globally.

“This means that the number of illiterates increases as more children are out of school,” she said.

She, however, identified continuing education as the most powerful and effective education strategy capable of reducing the rising rate of illiteracy in the nation.

Describing continuing education as imperative in balancing life equation for meaningful human existence, she called for more stakeholders’ involvement in developing continuing education programmes.

“Organisations and agencies are to rally round and develop a policy of participation, reward, evaluation and sponsorship in continuing education programmes,” she said.

Egunyomi suggested the need for higher institutions to develop a pragmatic policy of accessing funds set ‎aside for the development of academic and non-academic staff.

“There is also the urgent need for the restructuring of TETFUND as the main resource centre for financial support of tertiary institutions,” she said.

She said that this would reduce the excessive bureaucracy attached to its functions.

NAN