INSTITUTE OF ADULT AND CONTINUING EDUCATAION

ORDINARY DIPLOMA IN ADULT AND CONTINUING EDUCATION

THROUGH OPEN AND DISTSNCE LEARNING

CENTER: MWANZA
MODULE NAME: BASIC ADULT LEARNING FACILITATION SKILLS
CODE NUMBER/COURSE CODE: FAT 04206
TERM PAPER/PROJECT
NAME STUDENT: ZAINABU MASIBUKA
REGISTRATION NUMBER:
LECTURER NAME:
YEAR: 2015
DUE DATE: 14/12/2015

QUESTION: Explain challenges facing adult education facilitators in Tanzania

Table of Contents
Acknowledgement ..............................................................................................................................3
Introduction .......................................................................................................................................4
Meaning of Education and its Importance.............................................................................................4
Meaning of Adult education and Types of adult education.....................................................................4
Meaning of facilitator .........................................................................................................................5
Challenges facing Adult Education Facilitators in Tanzania ...................................................................5
Conclusion .........................................................................................................................................6
References: ........................................................................................................................................6

Acknowledgement
First I would like to thank the almighty god for his love, support, strength and everything he did
for me when I need his guidance and support to achieve my goal during preparation of my project,
My Allah be blessed. My special thanks to my facilitator Rainer Chale for his directive and
supports in making my achieve my goal for the accomplishing my project, also I thank some
teachers George Gwagwa, Heri Ginnethon and Roda Festo for their positive contribution in this
project. Moreover may I take this opportunity to express my heart felt sincere to my young sister
Beatrice Budoya who made it possible for conduct my project, also I thanks to my staff members,
collegement and my friends for encouraging me for their love and players. Finally sincere gratitude
to my parents for their great love, prayers moral and financial support.

Introduction
The fundamental goal in preparing this project on Adult Education Facilitators in Tanzania and
challenges facing them was to provide learners with basic competencies necessary to
a.
b.
c.
d.

Understand Education
Understand Adult Education
Understand facilitator
Recognize challenge facing facilitators

The sequence of the topic discussed begins with a definition of education and its important. It is
followed by definition of Adult education and types of adult education, then definition of
facilitator. The last topic is about explanation of challenges facing Adult Education facilitators in
Tanzania.
It is my sincere hope that learner will find this project useful and it will help to know
challenges facing Adult Education facilitators in Tanzania and the way to overcome that
challenges.
Best wishes to you all
Z. J. Masibuka
Meaning of Education and its Importance
Education is a process of receiving or giving systematic instruction, especially at a school or
University (Deey, 1916)
Education is a process of facilitating learning. Knowledge, skills, value, belief and habits of a
group of people are transferred to other people through storytelling, discussion, teaching, training
or research (Marjanovic, 1990)
Education in any nation and to individuals within it is very important because education remain a
valuable tool for fighting ignorance, disease, squalor and poverty.
Meaning of Adult education and Types of adult education
Adult education is a course or training program or activity which is meant to bring about learning
to those people whose age or social role define them as adult such as secondary, distance learning,
Diplomas, Business, English course; office administration, health care and computer operation;
classes af art, music, cooking and parenting; college and Universities (Aderinoye, 2004)
Adult education is a program designed to adult in order for them to get knowledge, skills and
experience to change their life (Nzeneri, 2006)
Adult education refer to any form of learning undertaken by or provided for mature men and
women outside the formal schooling system (Seya, 2005)
Adult education is one of the fields of academic endevour that is saddled with the responsibility
of solving social-economic, cultural, political and environmental problems (Europen scientific
Journal, 2013)
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Meaning of facilitator
Facilitator is a person responsible for leading or coordinating the work of a group, as one who
leads a group discussion.
Example: Coordinator or designer (Onyenemezu, 2012)
Facilitator is a person who has the role of empowering participants to learn in an experimental
group (Kwapong, 2005)
Adult education as the one of the most important forms of continuing education which any
government can offer to its citizens in order to enhance development, particularly in the rural areas.
This form of education is provided through the effort of facilitators who helps the participants to
achieve their individual and common goals.
Challenges facing Adult Education Facilitators in Tanzania
Here are challenges facing facilitators
Lack of participants: Many learners are not aware of existence of the adult education centers and
even the programs they supposed to enroll. Also perception of people about adult education.
This affect facilitators to get group to deal with difficult issues or to facilitate subject for many
learners in order to develop our country.
The learning teaching materials used in adult education: Facilitators are not involved in the
development of teaching learning materials used in teaching adults. Materials are provided by the
institute of Adult Education and sometimes does not deliver in time. Sometimes the material does
not easy for the learners to understand and sometimes are not current and therefore facilitator need
to develop new material to use in the teaching adult education.
Learning incidences: are relating by the learners depending on their needs. Facilitators participated
in the selection of the learning incidence and are the major determinant of what was a priority to
be learnt. Facilitator should be encouraged to help the learners select learning incidences which
are going to enable them to tackle their day to day problems.
Method used in teaching adult learners are demonstration, discussion and some methods.
Discussion is a major method used to teach the learners. Some method are also found to be more
effective than others but the selection of the method to be used is a challenge to the facilitator.
Mostly facilitators are suitable to use lecture method while teaching.
Language used in learning and teaching process: English language hinder the facilitators and
learners to communicate easily in learning/teaching process and also hinder the learners to
understand easily what they learn and achieve in learning process. Mother tongue is the most
effective media of instruction compared to the other languages such as Kiswahili. The local
language should be used as the language of instruction in order to make it easy for both the learners
and facilitators to participate in the learning process with ease and confidence.
Inadequate funding: The budgetary allocating to adult education at all levels of government is
grossly inadequate especially when compared to the formal education sector. It is noted that there
5

is problem of accountability and transparency in the management of funds allocated to non-formal

education sector.
Lack or inadequate number of learners who consciousness possess information and
communication technology skills is a serious challenge for facilitators because hinder them to use
some methods in teaching like Brainstorming, Question and answer, Discussion in teaching/
learning process because learners are not participate well in lessons and are not able to succeed.
Poor remuneration of facilitators: In Tanzania facilitators are paid poor wages. They are salaries
starts from Tsh. 716,000/= , this is poor wages according to its relation between life costs and their
education level that they have. Facilitators are employed under the Secretary Genaral of Ministry
of Education, in some cases even facilitators are not being paid for so many months. Other months
they are not paid until misunderstanding occur between employer and employee.
Conclusion
In order to avoid the challenges facing Adult Education facilitators, The ministry of
education should modify that challenges discussed above by discover the ways on getting learners
in adult education, write the materials in local language in order to make the learner conceptualize
what they are learning and delivered in time, also the Ministry should allow the facilitators to select
the best teaching method they find suitable for teaching adult; Make the enough budget for adult
education level. Ministry provide the information and communication technology facilities in
Adult Education and increase salary to facilitator.

References:
Aderinoye, R.A. (2004). Adult and non-formal education and 4th global challenges issues and
perspectives. Department of adult education, Ibadan
Federal Republic of Nigeria (2004) National policy on education. Abiya federal ministry of
education.
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Nzeneri, I.S. (2006). The concept and scope of adult and non-formal education in adult and noformal in Nigeria: emerging issues paper from the NNCAE annual conference. Sokoto P.34-43
Onyenemezu, E.C. (2012). Adult education and challenges of 21 st century in Nigeria. Education
and practice(3) Rivers state P.1-7
Kwapong, O.T.F (2005). Using adult education for empowerment of rural women. Policy issues
and practice. Abuja.
Seya, P. T ()