Adult education in the Limpopo province of South Africa: challenges for policy implementation

Abstract

In this article we report and reflect on a study about the problems encountered in the implementation of adult education policies in the Limpopo province of South Africa. We used the model of intergovernmental policy implementation of Van Horn and Van Meter as a theoretical framework. We reflect on this study and link the findings with more recent literature on and experiences with developments in the implementation of adult education policies. The findings of our study show several discontinuities and contradictions in the implementation of an adult education policy, partly caused by the legacies of the past. A central recommendation, informed by contributions from stakeholders at grassroots level, is to use a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches (bottopdown) in policy development to improve the quality of the implementation.

Grounding Adult Education Research in Rural Areas

“…The impact of globalization through neoliberal stances on the need for marketdriven policies might have played a role as well (see e.g., Aitchison, 2003;Frõdin, 2009;Tikly, 2003). Rampedi's studies show that the underperformance in implementation is caused by similar causes as experienced during the "War against Poverty" in the 1960s in the United States as well as by the specific conditions of underdevelopment existing in the mainly rural Limpopo Province (Rampedi, 2003;Zeelen, Rampedi, & De Jong, 2011; see also Hulst & Kerkhof, 2000;Kerkhof & Rakoma, 1999;Mabasa, 2002). In terms of the research approach used, it was instructive that participatory elements were used in Rampedi's project itself, in the finalization of the study as well as after completion and further dissemination of the findings, in this case though a regional conference in Limpopo with participation of representatives from the national department of education.…”