Literacy and development: A study of Yemissrach Dimts - DiVA

322 Pages·2013·11.41 MB·English

Margareta Sjöström and Rolf Sjöström
LITERACY
AND
DEVELOPMENT
A study of Yemissrach Dimts
Literacy Campaign in Ethiopia
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Umeå Universitet
Pedagogiska institutionen

ABSTRACT
Sjöström, M. & Sjöström, R. LITERACY AND DEVELOPMENT. A study
of Yemissrach Dimts Literacy Campaign in Ethiopia. Doctoral
dissertation at the faculty of Social Sciences, University
of Umeå, 1982. (In English). ISBN 91-7174-111-9.
The problem of illiteracy has been the object of many studies
during recent decades. In Ethiopia, a country which reports one
of the lowest literacy rates in Africa, the Yemissrach Dimts
Literacy Campaign (YDLC) was started in 1962. Its activities
were concentrated to rural areas and directed primarily towards
adults. The present study is an evaluation of the Campaign. The
investigation was conducted between 1974-1976 with the purpose
of describing and analysing Campaign activities, focussing on
student achievement, the teaching process, and benefits
experienced by participants of the Campaign. Another important
objective was to consider the role of the Campaign within a
wider socio-economic and political context. The main sample
consisted of 466 literacy students in eight different schools
from the regions of Wollo, Wollega, Shoa and Gamu Gofa. An
additional group of 66 adult villagers also took part in the
interview studies. In addition to the interviews, researchers'
methodology included achievement testing and classroom obser­
vations. The results of our study indicate that students became
literate after one to two years at the literacy school. However,
individual participants stated that they had not experienced
substantial benefits arising from their literacy skills. When
students were taught to read in Amharic campaign teachers used
a combination of synthetic and analytic methods. The influence
of traditional reading methods was clearly visible. Motivation
for sending children to school appeared fairly strong, but
adults declared that it was seldom possible for themselves to
attend school; Contrary to what one might expect traditional
values did not seem to be the reason for this. In the case of
women and girls, however, tradition was probably a major
obstacle. YDLC as an educative phenomenon is also discussed
in an overall development perspective. A critical appraisal of
evaluative strategies for development programmes in included.
Key words: Adult, education, Development, Education for women,
Ethiopia, Evaluation, Literacy, Literacy methods, Motivation,
Rural education.
Margareta Sjöström, Rolf Sjöström. Department of Education,
University of Umeå, S-901 87 Umeå, Sweden.
LITERACY AND DEVELOPMENT
A study of Yemissrach Dimts Literacy Campaign
in Ethiopia
AKADEMISK AVHANDLING
som med tillstånd av Samhällsvetenskapliga fakulteten vid
Umeå universitet för avläggande av doktorsexamen framläggs
för offentlig granskning i hörsal E, Humanisthuset,
fredagen den 24 september, 1982, kl. 09.00.
av
Margareta Sjöström Rolf Sjöström
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Margareta Sjöström and Rolf Sjöström
LITERACY
AND
DEVELOPMENT
A study of Yemissrach Dimts
Literacy Campaign in Ethiopia
HHDI
s- B S --4
^ 3
Umeå Universitet
Pedagogiska institutionen
Margareta Sjöström and Rolf Sjöström
ISBN 91-7174-111-9
ABSTRACT
The problem of illiteracy has been the object of many studies
during recent decades. In Ethiopia, a country which reports one
of the lowest literacy rates in Africa, the Yemissrach Dimts
Literacy Campaign (YDLC) was started in 1962. Its activities
were concentrated to rural areas and directed primarily towards
adults. The present study is an evaluation of the Campaign. The
investigation was conducted between 1974-1976 with the purpose
of describing and analysing Campaign activities, focussing on
student achievement, the teaching process, and benefits
experienced by participants of the Campaign. Another important
objective was to consider the role of the Campaign within a
wider socio-economic and political context. The main sample
consisted of 466 literacy students in eight different schools
from the regions of Wollo, Wollega, Shoa and Gamu Gofa. An
additional group of 66 adult villagers also took part in the
interview studies. In addition to the interviews, researchers'
methodology included achievement testing and classroom obser
vations. The results of our study indicate that students became
literate after one to two years at the literacy school. However,
individual participants stated that they had not experienced
substantial benefits arising from their literacy skills. When
students were taught to read in Amharic campaign teachers used
a combination of synthetic and analytic methods. The influence
of traditional reading methods was clearly visible. Motivation
for sending children to school appeared fairly strong, but adults
declared that it was seldom possible for themselves to attend
school. Contrary to what one might expect traditional values
did not seem to be the reason for this. In the case of women
and girls, however, tradition was probably a major obstacle.
YDLC as an educative phenomenon is also discussed in an overall
development perspective. A critical appraisal of evaluative
strategies for development programmes is included.
Key words; Adult education, Development, Education for women,
Ethiopia, Evaluation, Literacy, Literacy methods, Motivation,
Rural education