Abstract
In a country such as South Africa whose democracy is relatively new, education for all citizens is of primary concern. Education in general and in particular education of those who had little or no education at all, is high on the priority list. While the government has targeted illiteracy as one of the major issues, others such as gender differentiation in the involvement of learners in adult literacy programs, make the illiteracy situation even more complex, especially in the rural areas where the traditional tenets of the communities are still observed. This study explored the role gender plays in the involvement of learners in adult literacy programs in the rural Bushbuckridge area of Mpumalanga Province, in order to determine the possible implications for literacy programs in rural South Africa. In order to achieve this aim, an interpretive design was applied and qualitative methods of data-collection were utilized. Empirical data was obtained through observations and interviews and processed and analyzed by unitizing and categorizing, resulting in the findings of the research. The results showed that gender does play a role in the involvement of learners in adult literacy programs and that there are implications involved. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n23p1090
Highlights
Introduction and BackgroundThe International Literacy Data 2013 state that 774 million adults cannot read and write (UNESCO, 2014 [online])
This study explores the role gender plays in the involvement of learners in adult literacy programs in the rural Bushbuckridge area of Mpumalanga Province, in order to determine the possible implications for literacy programs in rural South Africa
Learners: the number of female learners exceeds the number of male learners as reflected in the table, the total number of learners in the table does not represent the total number from the centres, only learners who were present on the days interviews took place
Summary
The International Literacy Data 2013 state that 774 million adults (of 15 years and above) cannot read and write (UNESCO, 2014 [online]). In South Africa, one of the challenges that the government of democracy inherited from the previous one was the high illiteracy rate, which stood at about 15 million in 1995 (Mathiba, 1995:130). In South Africa 92, 9 % of the citizens can read and write (Pretorius, 2013). Problems associated with illiteracy (amongst them poverty), can affect the development of the community. Literature differ on whether illiteracy cause poverty or vice versa The problems include inability to read instructions, inability to write, filling in forms and full participation in the activities of the community
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