THE ROLE OF NON-FORMAL EDUCATION IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: A CASE STUDY OF THE ATWIMA KWANWOMA DISTRICT

ABSTRAC

The Non-Formal Education Division was established under the Ministry of Education, Ghana in 1991 and mandated to eradicate illiteracy in Ghana by the year 2015. Unlike formal education institutions which have standardized processes, procedures and certification systems that enable and facilitate monitoring and evaluation of programmes, non-formal education systems, by virtue of their peculiar characteristics, are relatively difficult to monitor and evaluate. This study sought to assess the relevance of non-formal education programmes undertaken in the Atwima-Kwanwoma District on the socioeconomic well-being of participants and the community, determine the degree of involvement of participants in the development of the programmes for the community as well as identify the challenges that hamper the effective implementation of non-formal programmes in the district. A random sample of programme participants, program supervisors and NFE Executives provided data through questionnaires and interviews. The findings established that Non-Formal Education programmes are having an appreciable impact on the socio-economic development of participants and the community at large even though due to challenges encountered, the impact is less than expected. The study identified some of the challenges that are hampering the effective implementation of the programme in the District. These include inadequate logistics, withdrawal of donor support, unrealistic programme cycle, lack of community involvement in the design of programmes and inadequate programme facilitators among others. It was recommended, Non-Formal Education Division should be accorded the same recognition and support as other agencies of the Ministry of Education.