Origins and development of adult edult education innovations in Tanzania

Mushi, Phiemon Andrew Kinyala (1990) Origins and development of adult edult education innovations in Tanzania. University of Southampton, Doctoral Thesis.

Abstract

The study attempts to investigate and analyze a number of Adult Education innovations in Tanzania to delineate the context within which they were perceived, originated and developed. It is divided into two parts.

Part One looks at the origins of the innovations with reference to the context within which they were perceived and formulated. A number of innovations which include functional literacy, mass education programmes, workers' education, Folk Development Colleges (FDCs) programme, correspondence education, post-literacy and its supporting programmes are therefore investigated and analysed with reference to the perceived context to determine the factors which defined and influenced their origins. The investigation and analysis reveal that these innovations had firm roots within the socio-economic conditions prevailing in the country in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Nyerere's influence as President and Party leader through his ideas and policies, Tanzania's ideology of development, the policy of popular participation, and the roots of educational policy in Humanistic philosophy of education and indigenous African education.

The innovations were therefore formulated on the one hand, to raise the consciousness of people and to empower them through the knowledge, skills and attitudes so that they might overcome the constraints of poverty, ignorance, disease, dependency and miserable living conditions and ultimately liberate themselves as a nation. On the other hand, they were also implicitly formulated to make people embrace 'ujamaa' attitudes and values with a view to getting them to participate in the task of liberating their country diligently and without resistance.

Pan Two moves on to analyze the implementation of three innovations namely functional literacy, workers' education and FDCs as case studies. The study reveals that these innovations were 'political', they were used by the government as a 'device' for expressing the principles of 'ujamaa' and the methods by which the country could be liberated. Further, the study reveals that the 'political' role of leaders expressed itself in educational form. The leaders led and guided the people 'educationally' and educated them 'politically' in an attempt to achieve the desired end.

Beyond this, the factors which influenced the development of these innovatory activities are examined and ways by which they could be improved are discussed.

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