Factors that contribute to the withdrawal of adult learners from Adult Basic Education Programme (ABEP): a case study of Ramotswa village

Abstract

This study is a proposal on factors that contribute to the withdrawal of adult learners from ABEP, which is a case study of Ramotswa Village, in Botswana. The background of the study topic starts by addressing historical aspect in view of Batswana’s traditional education system, a factor which contributed to the withdrawal of learners in traditional schools and the impact of colonial masters on the education of Batswana. Africans had their own formal education system before colonial masters dominated their culture. For example, Batswana Traditional Schools (BTS) were called ‘bojale’ for young girls and ‘bogwera’ for young boys. Koolese, Makwinja, Mannathoko & Sekgoma (1992) state that before the British arrived, “the nation states and chiefdoms each had their own education system. Education was meant to teach children the right values and customs through formal education and informal education” (p.67). BTS were conducted in special bushes and parents were not allowed to visit their children. The venue is confirmed by Moorad (1993) who asserts that, “bogwera was usually conducted away from the village in a special bush-camp” (p.32). A grandmother of the writer told the writer that if a learner became sick, he or she was not sent home. According to the grandmother, parents were not informed about the ailment, death or burial of their child, they ‘read between the lines’ that they lost a daughter or son when other learners returned, not theirs.