The impact of social and exonomic factors on adult education in adult centres in Mafikeng District, north West

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to focus on the impact of social and economic factors on adult education in adult centres in Mafikeng District, North West Province. Both the empirical and literature review research methods had been applied in the accumulation of data for this research project. A 25 item questionnaire for adult learners and a 32 item questionnaire for adult educators were used to evaluate the perception that social and economic factors had an impact on adult education in adult centres, especially in the Mafikeng District, North West Province. The questionnaire catered for: whether the government provide stationery and text books to adult centres, the effect of absenteeism on both adult learners and educators, interaction of government officials with adult educators at centres, the commitment of adult educators' attitude towards teaching in the evening, the interference of working in the evening with the adult educator's family, and the possibilities of adult educators being promoted to senior posts. The subjects of the study were 350 because 50 of them failed to respond. The empirical investigation conducted revealed that social and economic factors did have an impact on adult education in adult centres in Mafikeng. The study also revealed that adult learners who live alone, have a greater percentage of being dropouts as compared to adult learners who live either with their spouses or their relatives. The conclusion drawn is that adult learners be encouraged to live with their relatives so that they could pursue their educational aims without any disturbances.