The government of many countries run adult education programs to educate and empower the adults. Special night schools are set up to provide adult education as it is easier for them to take out time during those hours since most of them earn their livelihood during the day. There are many night schools providing adult education in different parts of India too. However, even though the opportunity to learn and grow is readily available in almost all the cities in our country not as many enrolments are seen in the adult education schools. This is because the adults face quite a few challenges when it comes to going to school and learning.
Children are quick learners. They are keen, curious and possess good observational as well as grasping power. They love to explore new things, ask questions and learn constantly. Learning for them is fun. However, it is not the same with the adults. As a person grows old, he isn’t as quick when it comes to learning, the curiosity to learn new things fades away and so does the ability to grasp. This becomes one of the biggest hindrances in learning.
Another problem is time constraint. Adults are mostly working and are unable to take out much time to study. This is the reason why many of them refrain from enrolling at adult schools. Even those who go to adult school aren’t able to manage enough time for self study. This slows the learning process and hampers their performance.
Children are just required to go to the school and study and may be indulged in certain extra-curricular activities out of interest. They are not loaded with any other responsibility but it is not the same when it comes to adults. Adults need to take care of the financial, emotional and other needs of their family. They also need to fulfil their social responsibilities. Amid all these responsibilities they find it hard to concentrate on their studies and thus learning becomes a challenge for them.
It is not that easy to get back to school after you start working. Those who haven’t ever been to school find it all the more difficult to adjust to this new environment. Adults find it hard to accustom to new things and going to school as their age seems to be one of the most difficult and challenging tasks for them.
Many people refrain from enrolling to the adult schools because of the fear of society. This is particularly true for the women. A woman who has been suppressed since her childhood and has been denied the right to education will find it hard to gather the strength to go to school in her adulthood. People in our society take no time to criticize a woman who tries to be independent. Those who go out to study at an adult school are often criticized of neglecting their families. Meeting the needs of her family and children and completing the daily household chores also becomes a hindrance in learning for those enrolled.
Thus, we see that seeking adult education is quite a challenging task. People find it difficult to learn their lessons owing to their age factor, household and social responsibilities, time constraint and more. It requires a lot of hard work and determination to seek adult education and complete the courses successfully. Those adults who gather the courage to seek adult education and put in efforts to learn deserve applause. They serve as an inspiration to those around them.