The Transformative Power of Adult Education - by Jim Silver (Paperback)

About the Book

How adult basic education strengthens families and builds capacity for community change -- transforming society from the ground up.

Book Synopsis

Adult basic education transforms lives of pain and despair into lives of hope and pride. For people who are broken, defeated, and down on themselves, finishing a high school education can get them off social assistance and into work that pays a living wage. The benefits far outweigh the costs of adult basic education. It strengthens families and improves the lives of the children of adult learners, particularly those who are poor and marginalized, in ways that go beyond economics to the very core of human dignity by developing self-esteem and self-confidence where it scarcely existed. It produces broader societal benefits by reducing poverty and inequality. And it builds capacity, allowing people to engage in creating social change in their communities and in society. Despite these impressive and important benefits, adult basic education is largely unknown and seriously underfunded. It could and should be a central part of a radical re-imagining of education, in which adult basic education is on par with K-12 and post-secondary education.

About the Author

Jim Silver is a professor emeritus at the University of Winnipeg and a research associate with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives-Manitoba. He has published extensively on poverty and poverty-related issues -- for example, social housing, street gangs, community development, and adult basic education.