Directorate of Adult Education
Directorate of Adult Education originated from National Fundamental Education Centre (NFEC), set up in the year 1956 by Govt. of India. Later, the Centre was renamed as Department of Adult Education and made part of the National Institute of Education under National Council of Educational Research & Training in 1961. With increased thrust of Government of India on adult literacy programmes, Department of Adult Education was separated from NCERT and given an independent identity in the year 1971. For sometime, it was known as Directorate of Non-Formal (Adult Education) and later renamed as Directorate of Adult Education.
Directorate of Adult Education is a subordinate office under the Department of School Education & Literacy, Ministry of Education, Govt. of India. It functions as National Resource Centre for adult education and literacy programmes in the country. It provides professional, academic and technical guidance for effective implementation of programmes launched under the aegis of National Literacy Mission Authority and monitors progress of the programmes implemented in the field through State Governments and other agencies.
The objectives and main functions of Directorate of Adult Education are as follows:
Objectives
- To serve as a national resource centre for adult education programme.
- To advice State Governments/ Union Territories/ Universities and Voluntary Organisations etc. engaged in the implementation of the Adult Education Programme.
- To provide technical guidance and support in curriculum development, preparation of teaching learning materials, training of functionaries for Basic & Post literacy and follow up programmes.
- To conduct monitoring, evaluation and research.
- To act as documentation and information clearing house.
- To undertake publicity and promotional work through electronic and other media to support adult education programme.
Functions
- Academic and technical resource support to National Literacy Mission.
- Organize training and orientation programmes.
- Prepare guidelines for development of teaching-learning materials.
- Develop proto-type teaching/learning materials, posters, etc for non-literates and neo-literates.
- Evolve guidelines on evaluation of on-going programmes.
- Provide media support through production of media materials and harnessing of all kinds of media i.e. electronic, print, traditional and folk media for furtherance of the objectives of National Literacy Mission.
- Conduct external evaluations through social science research institutions and provide regular feedback to the NLMA about the findings of external evaluations.
- Organize workshops/review meetings for the effective implementation of Adult Education Programme.
- Coordinate, collaborate and network with agencies/institutions involved in implementation of adult literacy programmes in the States.
