July 2010 - ABET and the Cosmic City Community
Kevin Hashatsi visits hundreds of ABET Classes every year. He sees all shapes, sizes, seasons and strivings of ABET. Imagine our delight when we received this report from him...
ABET
LEARNING TO READ - the key to knowledge
Imagine not being able to read a letter or the newspaper, and worse, not being able to understand or read what your pay slip says; learning to read means becoming part of the decisions and choices that people make on a daily basis, opening up job opportunities and full participation in life's goings on.
Reading is essential because books are the key to the world - both the real- and fantasy world. It adds quality to life, and provides access to ones cultural heritage. Reading empowers and emancipates citizens, bringing people together; people who lack these abilities often are members of populations suffering from poverty, crime, and unemployment. It is general knowledge that South Africans read seldom or hardly ever, and one of the main reasons for this is the very low education levels from the past government.
While literacy is an important index of economic development, adult education extends far beyond the first steps of learning to read and write. The reading that students engage in, no matter what their literacy level, has relevance to their own lives. We continue to learn and grow throughout our lives - in the workplace, in our homes and in our communities, and all previously disadvantage South Africans are encouraged to further their education and to celebrate the achievements of those who have already taken up the challenge of learning to read.
Adult education is not just about literacy. It embraces a diverse range of learning experiences, from adults who are learning the basic skills of reading and writing to those who are completing further degrees and diplomas. It also includes learnerships in industry and community based training programmes led by NGOs.
Learning to read, in all its variety, is vital to our becoming better informed, and becoming a skilled and adaptable reader enhances our chances of success at home, work and beyond.
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