Principles of Post-Colonial Adult Education: The Case of Adult Education Programmes in Tanzania

Abstract

Using content analysis techniques, this case study analysed three adult education programmes in the light of post-colonial education theorisation, in order to determine how best adult education programmes can be designed and implemented. The study assessed how adult education programmes are designed in terms of the five principles of glocalisation, empowerment, participation, holisticness and flexibility. The findings reveal that there are about 19 key elements to consider when designing adult education programmes in the context of post-colonial education. The findings further reveal that the analysed programmes have most the elements of post-colonial education, although there is still room for improvement especially with considerations for more inclusion of indigenous knowledge and technologies; more oral and practical elements within curricula; and use of local traditional experts; but at the same time integrate global issues in the curricula. The study recommends on benchmarking programme designs with principles of adult education; on the need to review adult education programmes from time to time, in order to align the programmes with principles; and on the need to use the principles analysed in the study to trigger more thinking on post-colonial education, and on adult education.