Adult Education as it Relates to Democracy

Paper Summary:

In this paper, the writer proposes that education is a vital tool if democracy is to develop and prosper. The paper states that education represents an essential instrument that a government, a country, and even an individual, can posses and must constantly improve on and that it represents the future of a nation. The paper continues and contends that adult education as a means of achieving democracy can be said to be one of the most important tools a state government can make use of in order to establish and develop a system based on the rule of law and democratic principles. The paper specifically examines two areas of the world where concerted efforts have been made to improve adult education in order to strengthen democratic values - South and Latin America and South Africa.

From the Paper:

"This is an important factor in the evolution of the democracy because it offers the older generation the possibility to reconsider their position inside a society which is constantly changing. Taking into account the fact that the younger generation is already on a different set of values, it is important to reduce this gap. Thus, adult education represents a set of norms which aim precisely at reducing this difference. Initiatives in this sense relate to actions addressing the basic levels of knowledge up to the highest ones. Thus, nongovernmental organizations as well as different international organizations address illiteracy among Latin Americans (Torres, 1990), one of the first steps towards achieving a more educated society. At the same time, the idea of eradicating illiteracy has also an impact on the way in which people receive information or get in contact with analysis and interpretations of different political evolution. It can be said therefore that another reason for which leaders such as Chavez of Castro are still in the frontline of international politics is the lack of access to information and at the same time the limited knowledge of the actual meaning of that information."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Dover, K. (2008) Warm ups and Icebreakers. Continuing education. Accessed 29 April 2008, from http://adulted.about.com/
• Facts on Liberal Education. (2003) Liberal Adult Education in Sweden. Accessed 25 April 2008, from http://www.folkbildning.se/page/492/english.htm
• Klemann, J. (2004). A Critical Look at South Africa Politics and Economics. Accessed 25 April 2008, from http://www.escapeartist.com/efam/56/South_Africa_Politics.html
• Leis, R. (n.d.) Reflections on Popular Education. Adult education in Latin America. accessed 25 April 2008, from http://www.iiz-dvv.de/index.php?article_id=269&clang=1
• Machinea, J. L. (2004) New priorities for Latin America and the Caribbean. UN Chronicle. Accessed 25 April 2008, from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1309/is_/ai_n6146677

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