Adult Education and Extension

In consonance with its need that the University Extension Work ( UEW) represents the Third Dimension of Higher Education, the UGC in steps since 1988-89 to link the career advancement and promotions of the University of College Teachers with their participation in the comprehensive programme of the UEW drawn according to the Area Development Approach (ADA). Introduced on an experimental basis for a period of five years, the elements of Extension Work as the Adult Education, mass Programme of Functional Literacy, Vocation-based Continuing Education and Population Education. The Scheme was introduced in several Universities in India, during 1989-90.

Notwithstanding the lofty aim to combine the pursuit of higher learning with the socially desired community work to broaden the vision of the teachers and students, the scheme has evoked intense debate because of its linkage with the career advancement, promotion and consequently with higher pay scale. Thus, the questions have been raised as to the desirability of foisting the scheme on unwilling elements in the teaching faculty and students about the efficacy of the role of functionaries, the adequacy of the Orientation Programmes conducted for the functionaries, the extent to which the Teachers, functionaries and Beneficiaries are motivated to participate in the extension work, the difficulties which they encounter in the process and above, whether the scheme attaches greater premium to promotion of social commitment vis-??-vis professional competence.

The above questions from the main focus of the present study which it has endeavoured to answer on the basis of information collected under a survey, from the teaching fraternity, in the University of Poona and its affiliated colleges.

There is hardly any study which evaluates the operation of the ADA-based UEW scheme, in such a comprehensive manner. The present study greatly fulfills the vacuum.