The New Knowledge-Rich Society: Perpetuating Marginalisation and Exclusion
Abstract:
The provision and delivery of Adult Basic and Literacy Education (ABLE) in South Africa have received generous attention over the last seven years but illiteracy and under-education amongst the adult population remain some of the biggest challenges. Fifty percent of the South African adult population has less than 10 years of schooling (3 million have never been to school). The majority of these adults are unemployed, trapped in the informal economy or facing retrenchment.
The South African government launched a National Skills Development Strategy in 2001 to increase the skills within the country for productivity and competitiveness as well as to address the marginalisation and exclusion of millions of people. This paper looks at two of the biggest sectors of the South African economy, mining and manufacturing, and highlights the urgency of ABLE as a vehicle that could play a significant role in incorporating people in meaningful participation in the economic, social political and cultural activities. The author also shows how the new knowledge and network economies perpetuate marginalisation.
Author:
Ivor Baatjes
Senior Lecturer
School of Education, Training and Development
Centre for Adult Education
University of Natal