1.Learning/ Education is intimately associated with Life, Living, Growing, Awareness, Empowerment, Change and Transformation. The reverse is also true. Absence of learning leads to stagnation, stunted growth, disempowerment, etc.
2.This is not only true about individuals but also about communities, societies and even Nations. Those (individuals, societies or nations) that do not learn, lag behind.
3.The primary objective of any educational work and any learning is the development of human skills and abilities. This potential must be developed to enable the broadest possible intelligent, active, responsible and democratic participation in ensuring and safe guarding an equitable, healthy, peaceful and humane future.
4.Human learning is inherently continuous and life long. We all learn new skills, new ideas, new problem solving techniques and acquire new knowledge about ourselves and the world around us.
5.The tremendous speed at which scientific, technological and other kinds of changes are taking place in all spheres of life, make it essential for everyone to constantly learn, unlearn and relearn new skills, ideas and so on. Many of these changes necessitate the mobilization of skills, abilities and creative problem solving skills of the entire humankind.
6.Learning can be formal, informal or non formal in nature. Social, Economic, Political and cultural factors affect learning characteristics, learning opportunities and learning environment.
7.For a long time, Continuing Education was understood in the limited sense of providing some additional education to those who have concluded formal education. In developing countries like India it was further limited to the objective of providing certain useful skills to those who have completed their basic literacy courses.
8.In some countries, especially in countries in South East Asia, Continuing Education was used to impart new skills to equip people to face the challenges of economic liberalization and globalization.
9.For the past one and a half decade or so much discussion has taken place about the concept and practice of Continuing Education among academic circles and among literacy practitioners. Many new terms, concepts and usages have become popular as a result of these. Some of the most popular concepts are Life Long Education, Learning Society, Learning to be and so on.
10.In order to acquire the skills and ideas that are necessary to face the challenges, opportunities and threats of the rapidly changing world, it is not enough to learn in special learning situations of life. In other words, it is necessary to learn life long. It is most important to acquire the skill and culture of learning to learn.
11.This leads us to the concept of a learning society where support is provided to all members of the society (especially the weak, the deprived and the disadvantaged) for facilitating learning in all situations in life.
12.Though there are minor differences between these usages and concepts they all signify and underline the importance of education as an instrument for social transformation.
13.Many of the existing ideas and thoughts about Continuing Education are useful to us. However, there is a need to understand and redefine these concepts according to the specific needs of our time and national (socio-economic and cultural-political) context.
14.Individuals, societies and even nations have a variety of learning needs or educational requirements. Some of these may be obvious and some are not. It is extremely important to identify and prioritize these learning needs.
15.Learning programmes of various kinds will have to be formulated on the basis of these learning needs. Learning programmes should be flexible and composite. Learner participation is extremely important in the formulation of learning programmes.
16.What kind of learning materials and learning resources will have to be generated for the CE programme? What kind of resource support systems will have to be developed? What will be the mechanism to train hundreds of thousand facilitators for CE?
17.Continuing Education or any other type of learning does not take place in a vacuum. Hence in societies which are enslaved and exploited, the CE programmes will have to develop linkages with empowerment and resistance. In societies which are underdeveloped CE will have to develop strong linkages with development and people’s participation in it. Thus in our situation the main objectives of the literacy programmes as spelled out by the NLM (in order to understand the reasons of underdevelopment and backwardness and to organise and resolve these problems) continue to be very relevant in the case of CE as well.
18.Hence we have to think about various possibilities and requirements like:
A.Continuing Education in the context of unfinished tasks related to literacy
B.CE as an instrument of awareness generation and resistance (in context of various issues like globalization, consumerism, communalism, liberalization, environmental degradation and so on)
C.CE for equipping people for more effective participation in all kinds and levels of democratic processes
D.To master new skills and upgrading existing skills in order to face the challenges of the modern world where knowledge and skills are getting outdated at unimaginably fast speed.
E.To enhance their socio cultural and political awareness, understanding and competencies.
19.We must also think about developing effective linkages between Continuing Education and various sectors like:
A.Formal Education at elementary and secondary school levels.
B.Higher and University level education.
C.A National wide library, reading and new media and communication movement
D.Panchatayti Raj Institutions
E.Gender issues and women’s movements
F.Self help groups
G.Human rights
H.Freedom for information
I.Food security
J.Employment Guarantee scheme
K.Rural Health Mission and so on.
20.What kind of structures should be build up to build up a flexible, sustainable CE programme for the country? What will be the nature and structure of CE centres? What are the levels at which CE programmes will be planned? What kind of courses can be conceived? Examples of the Japanese’s Freedom School, Taiwanese Community University, etc.
21.Finally, how to build up a National wide CE movement for building a new India