Adult and Popular

Education
KEY LESSONED LEARNED AND
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR
FURTHER DISCUSSIONS
Notes by Antero Benedito da Silva
JULY 7, 2009
 outline
• Introduction
• Analysis of Context
• Theoretical basis
• Strategies
• Methods
• Challenges
• Other issues of concern
• Recommendations
 Introduction:
• This Conference notes will address adult
and popular education in two areas;

First, literacy Campaigns and;

Secondly, other relevant issues of adult

and popular education
 Context
• The history of popular education traces back to UNETIM and
FRETILIN popular education in 1975; GFFTL re-started literacy
campaign since 1999; followed by Oxfam, Brazilian educators and
Ministry of Education in cooperation with Cuban Government in
2006 which formally started in April 2007;
• Popular education has moved to outside of FRETILIN in the post
Indonesian occupation
• Minister of Education Dr Joao Cancio Freitas stated that Illiteracy
rate remains high in Timor-Leste. Eradicating illiteracy by 2015 is
therefore one of the national objectives. About 50 percent of
Timorese population today is illiterate and some 40 percent or so
are women, this contributes to the prevalence of social and
economic poverty. According to Dr. Rui Gomes of UNDP, the
highest rate of poverty is found in the coffee growing districts
such as Ermera, Aileu, Ainaro and Same. Same district is regarded
as the poorest district in the country. According to Dr. Rui Gomes
also achieving MDGs by 2015, for Timor-Leste is impossible, partly
because of cultural factors, political factors and also because
Timor-Leste only adopted the MDGs 2 years after it was initiated.
• Daniel Shuguransky. an Adult and Popular Educator from Canada
further pointed out that, however, adult education (eg. Education
for workers and farmers) are sidelined in the international
initiatives, and this includes in the MGDs.
 Theoretical basis: Education for
transformation (Dr. Daniel
Shuguransky
“Education for transformation” refers to adult and
popular education which has objectives such as;
1) personal transformation;
2) social transformation which includes promoting
ecological, social and an economic sustainability;
Julius Nyerere, the late former President of Tanzania is
seen as the founding father of adult education (see Dar
e Salam Declaration). And the “dialogical approach of
popular education can be used by government ….and
people in terms of influencing the state policies that
might affect their lives as citizens,…for participatory
democracy…Citizens need to crate spaces for dialogue.
The World Social Forum is an example of creating
spaces.”
 Strategies and Methods
• State-Led Literacy Campaign: Minister Joao Cancio re-
affirmed the government’s policy to eradicate illiteracy;
and defended the Cuban method, SIM EU POSSO, as the
best method proved, to eradicate illiteracy;
• Dr. Bob Boughton, advisor to Cubans from the University of
New England Australia defines a National Campaign as
having three components: socialization, literacy and post
literacy;
• In line with the Minister, Ms. Filomena of GFFTL insisted that
it is important that to make literacy campaign differs from a
literacy program. Literacy campaign puts illiteracy as a
national cause that must be fought strategically by both
the state and the civil society and social movements.
• Filomena of GFFTL stated also that GFFTL has been using
popular education as basis to do literacy and post literacy
programs; Literacy as means for consciencializacao.
• Post Literacy has at the moment two possible approaches: the
Cuban post literacy method “Sim, eu quero continuar” and or
hakat ba oin and “equivalence,” which needs further research
and discussion.

• Oxfam has further developing ‘process based” appraoch in

developing popular curriculums for learning;

• The role of civil society and social movements are important

both in literacy campaign and post literacy. GFFTL and Oxfam
have involved developing programs and methods for literacy
and post literacy.

• The government budget on literacy was raised as an issue as

well as a strategy to eradicate illiteracy
• Mobilizing Universities and students to participate in Literacy
eradication campaign was urged by UNDIL student Cezaltina
 Agents for change
• State/Government
• Social Movements and Civil Society
Organizations
• People: local communities
• International solidarity and adult and
world popular education movements
 Challenges to Literacy
Campaign
1. How to make literacy into a national cause?
2. Mobilization of resources including
institutional, human and financial resources;
(Minister Joao Cancio admitted the limit of
state budget for education including non-
formal/adult education);
3. National coordination eg. Establishing a
National Commission for Adult and Popular
Education
Relevant popular education questions
• Developing a comprehensive evaluation of literacy
campaign/program
• Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) has developed PPL
(agriculture field workers or extensionistas) trained in Adult
Education to be sent to all districts. They are recruited from the
former Indonesian PPL;
• Cerilio Babo representing the coffee farming in Ermera stated
that they have been struggling for land reform in the former
Portuguese government coffee plantations known as Fazenda
and Sociedade Cafe; they have identified about 18.000 ha of
the coffee plantation and have organizing popular cooperatives
and popular extensioistas;
• Cerilio criticizes also that fact that the government is importing
hybrid seeds. He called hybrid seeds as “fini bainaka-guest
seeds” and further stated that “seeds is culture”; and that
Timor-Leste has local seeds that should be sustained and
developed as a form of cultural development.
• Radio Popular Kolele Mai Bucoli and its
operational challenges were discussed;
• Aboriginal justice and reconciliation process
and its cultural exchange with Timor-Leste
reconciliation process; “wisdom of the elders
and spirits of the young” (Jack Beetson-
Aboriginal leader)
• Reconciliation as a political process that
involves divergent ideas in the international
politics; interests of nation states and people to
people relationship (Antero)
• A question was raised that Ministry of
Education did not allow Non-Formal education
section to participate in the ‘Transforming
Timor-Leste’ Conference????
• Citizenship education
 Recommendations from Adult
& Popular Education Stream
1. Mobilizing universities and students to participate in the literacy campaign (Ms.
Cezaltina of UNDIL/Student Solidarity);
2. To develop a comprehensive evaluation of literacy Campaign in Timor-Leste; (to
Government and Popular education groups);
3. To further research and discuss available methods for post literacy
campaign/programs (to Government/UNTL and Popular Education groups)
4. Popular education movement to support Radio Popular Kolele Mai Bucoli;
5. Holding Timor-Leste Social Forum in December 2009 prior to World Social Forum in
Brazil (Popular Education groups/movement);
6. Timor-Leste to participate inc Civil Society International Forum prior to CONFINTEA
VI UNESCO Adult Education Forum in Brazil December 2009 (Suggested by Prof.
Daniel Schugurensky of Canada) (NGOs/Popular Education movement);
7. Re-establish popular education network (after evaluating Dai Popular);
8. to UNTL-Victoria University: To jointly and regularly (every two years) organize
conference similar to this one in the future;
9. Organise study exchange programs between Timorese youth and students and
Australian Aboriginal youth and students to share experiences of development
Specific Recommendations for Government:

1. Mobilize university staff and students to participate in the national

adult literacy campaign (Ms. Cezaltina of UNDIL/Student Solidarity);
2. Develop a comprehensive evaluation of literacy Campaign in Timor-
Leste (prof. Daniel S);
3. Develop a nationally-co-ordinated and integrated post-literacy
strategy with NGOs to consolidate the new skills of the neo-literates
who complete Los! Hau Bele
4. Work with UNESCO and NGOs to develop a national report and obtain
funding for Timor-Leste to participate in UNESCO International Adult
Education Forum (CONFINTEA VI) in Brazil December 2009
(Suggested by Prof. Daniel Schugurensky of Canada);
5. To ensure funding for literacy campaign in order to meet target of
eradicating illiteracy by 2015.
6. Work with UNTL, NGOs and UNESCO to develop a nationally-
coordinated adult and popular education workforce development
strategy for the training and certification of the national adult and
popular education system workforce, for example people working in
adult literacy, equivalence, agricultural extension, health promotion,
human rights and citizenship education and job training