ADULT EDUCATION IN INDIA; AN IMPORTANT STEP TOWARDS A STRONGER ECONOMY

 Adult education in India is a type of education system that educates mature students that have already taken part in the workforce.

Learning as a mature student gives individuals the chance to gain new skills and expand their knowledge.

The concept of Adult Education is not given much importance, but we cannot ignore the impact of Adult Education in any nation.

The role played by adult education indirectly influences various factors.

We cannot deny the fact that where adults have the knowledge and skills to handle any challenge, it will undoubtedly boost the economy of that nation in the long run.

Adult education plays a pivotal role in not just building a robust economy, but also plays a major role in determining the crime rate of a country.

Analytical research shows why a certain country records a higher crime rate, and it clearly illustrates the illiteracy of people has been a major factor that instigates people from committing crimes.

A major part of India is covered by rural areas and a large percentage of adults in these areas have not even attained basic education. Adult education is extremely important in these areas. 

The more educated the population of a country is, the more that country would develop. The complete process of gaining education should not be age barred and should be considered a lifetime process, as that is what it actually is.

However, the amount of emphasis laid on adult education in India, is not much.

There are many factors that restrict adults from gaining basic education at an early age as lack of awareness, poverty, insufficient resources, lack of good educational institutions, socio-economic factors, etc.

This concept is a little different from regular and general education. It is the procedure where adults who had to drop out of school or college because of any reason and cannot continue their studies are given opportunities and facilities to resume their education.

The true meaning of adult education is a chance, that’s considered the last option for people who did not get a good opportunity to continue or pursue it at the correct time.

It is a part-time or full-time education for men and women of all ages organized by schools, learning centres, or other agencies which enables them to improve their general or professional knowledge, skills, and abilities by continuing their education or by resuming their initial or incomplete education of the previous years. 

The primary objectives of Adult Education can be as below: 

 · Gaining various types of literacy

With the help of adult education, individuals can benefit from and learn many new skills. It isn’t restricted to a particular subject or skill. The higher the level of education a person gains, the more they can benefit.

· Awareness and knowledge of many subjects and areas

It provides an opportunity to create an awareness of not just one concept or subject, but opens a wide range of opportunities to learn something new at all stages.

This includes awareness about the community, society, health, medicine, hygiene, family, etc.

Ways to enhance functionality

It helps in promoting larger public participation in various activities and bringing out social, economic, cultural, and political transformation for raising the standard of living of the individual, community, and nation.

 Adult education in India can take many forms and cover many subjects. Many mature-aged students study languages, sciences, and a range of other important subjects.

A wide range of adult education programs is available, making it important to choose a high-quality program that aligns with your goals.

 There are many advantages to adult education, such as:

 · Gaining education after secondary school as a mature-aged student helps and allows adults to gain valuable skills to increase career prospects and expand their professional knowledge. 

· Developing important skills like literacy and numeracy in adulthood also gives people the ability to reach their full potential.

Many adult students gain additional confidence in their academic skills after pursuing adult education. 

· Adult education helps individuals understand their fundamental rights and also take corrective measures against crimes like domestic violence and child marriage.

 · Finally, adult education teaches students invaluable skills which they can put into action in a wide range of situations. The confidence gained with adult education is valuable both in and out of the workplace.

 While there are many benefits of adult education, there are also many challenges that adult learners often face.

These include the difficulty of maintaining a balance between work and personal life and being able to cope with the changing educational trends and digitalized learning(especially for people belonging to rural areas).

Other challenges include the difficulty of returning to a classroom setting after spending years in the workplace.

Many adults also struggle to make time to continue their education alongside work and household responsibilities.