Going Back to School

Formal education, adult education, staying in school all mean different things to different people at different times in their lives. People without educational privilege (see previous blog) have diverse reasons for returning to education. Going back to school as an adult, who did not complete secondary school, is not as easy as it might sound; adults face different challenges and barriers when they return.

Several years ago, I was involved in a National Literacy Secretariat research project related to what adults need in order to return to school, and later, the reasons why adults come to school. This was a participatory action project, where adult learners did the research.

The group generated a list, and then we attempted to order the items in terms of most important to least important incorporating Maslow's hierarchy of needs. That was interesting in itself as the group could not always agree. In the end, the needs were listed alphabetically under the title “Some of the Needs of Adult Students” as the group recognized they did not have everything covered. Here is the list:

 

Some of the Needs of Adult Students

Childcare

Clothing

Comfort

Community

Culture

Desire

Dignity

Dreams

Drive

Drug free

Ease of mind

Encouragement

Exercise

Family

Food

Funding

Future

Goals

Good judgment

Health

Healthy body

Healthy mind

Hope

Know where to go

Money

Motivation

Need

Nourishment

Patience

Personal control

Purpose

Reason

Recreation

Respect

Security

Self-confidence

Self-respect

Shelter

Support

Transportation

Validation

Will

 

I think this list gives us a little glimpse into why it is so difficult for adults to not only return to school, but to stick with school. It is also why the drop in/drop out pattern is so common for adult learners. If circumstances related to one of these needs changes, it will likely affect other needs and their participation in school is then compromised. (I hope you are thinking of the busy intersection now and how it allows the learners to step in and out of learning as they are able.)

 

Another discussion, on another day, two adult literacy learners generated a list of titled:

 

Why am I coming to school?

More education

Learn about things

Math

Reading

English

To find my career

Figure out my life

Unscramble my life

To take the time to figure it all out

Meet people

Potluck lunches

To keep myself busy

To keep myself occupied

Different atmosphere

Want different lifestyle

Reason to get up in the morning

Need the strength of school

To show my daughter I am on the right path

More education to find work

Get different ideas

To speak more about my feelings

Speak out more

Something to do

Have a reason

Enjoy life

To learn computers

To catch up to the world

To think

To get specific skills like a driver’s license

Something other than Nintendo to fill the day

Something other than walking around

To show them that we can do it

To be a role model

To be a good example

Want to learn about other places/cultures

Gives me strength to be able to talk to instructors

Missed out in high school

Because I want to graduate and get diploma

Because I want to have everything I want in life

To respect myself

Again, a powerful list recognizing that even formal institutionalized learning is not just about the academic curriculum (the diploma is just one of forty items) and being in school can be extremely meaningful and important for adult students. It is rather interesting that the list of Some of the Needs of Adult Students (before they attend school) may be met by attending school. Yet another reason why it often works for adults to start in on the busy intersection, even if they do not have “all their ducks in a row”. The busy intersection can have satellite learners orbiting the periphery and participating in informal learning activities as they are able, activities that build their capacity, and their comfort, for when they are ready to take the giant step and formally go back to school.

 

Thanks to Anne for her comments about The Piece of Paper. See comments under previous blog entry.