History of Adult and Community Education in the 1980s Molly A. McGuire

Commented on: Angela Blakenship, Sheri Evans, Emily Echelberry, Jennifer Bradley, Carlos Guerrero, Lecia Overley

Social Background

The 1980s were a time of numerous changes in the United States as well as around the world. There were great strides made in the advancement of information technology. It seemed like every month some cool technology came onto the market. Many of the most popular consumer products of today made their mark in the 1980s (Brian, 2006). Such products included the debut of the personal computer as well as compact discs, camcorders, cable television, cell phones, fax machines and the internet. These technological advances accelerated the speed at which people could send and receive information, ultimately changing the way people around the world were able to communicate with each other and in turn opening the door for the development of online and distance education.

Unfortunately, even with all the positive advances in technology at home, school and work, there were still other social issues of concerns, affecting the global population, which needed attention. The 1980’s marked the final decade of the Cold War, yet the United States already had a new war to fight within its own borders; the War on Drugs.  Besides the growing drug epidemic, there was also an increase in social problems such as poverty, illiteracy, crime, racism, AIDS, political chicanery and unemployment, Chang (n.d). Many countries including, the United States found themselves slipping deeper and deeper into financial recession and severe debt. As a result, of the financial crisis, the poverty rate in the U.S. was on the rise and a War of Poverty was also declared.

In 1981, newly inaugurated President Ronald Reagan outlined a plan for U.S. economic recovery to deal with the debt crisis in the United States by calling for large cuts to taxes and federal spending by signing the Economic Recovery Tax Act. Observers described it at the time as the most comprehensive economic proposals since President Franklin D. Roosevelt announced his New Deal program in March 1933 (Glass, 2018, p. 4).

Highlights

Reagan had inherited a sluggish economy, characterized by high inflation, high interest rates and persistent joblessness; yet another overriding concern in the 80’s was the quality of American education (Glass, 2018, p. 2). In May 1986, according to a government study on literacy, approximately 1 of every 8 Americans could not read. Eyre, 2013, p. 18).

A Nation at Risk, became the paradigmatic educational statement of the 80’s (Ravitch, 1990, p. 2). Study after study documented the poor performance of students in every area, in comparison both with those of past and with those of other countries, or warned about the folly of failing to educate poor and minority children (Ravitch, 1990, p.1). As a result of these findings literacy became a national priority and amendments to the Adult Education Act were made to increase funding and grants for workplace and English as a second language, because of the heightened concern with national productivity and the link between literacy and economic development (Rose, 1991).

The 1984 amendments to the Adult Education Act were indicative of Reagan administration preoccupations with these issues. These can be summarized as a renewed interest in literacy (but with reduced reliance on federal support), an emphasis on the use of the volunteer, and measures for cost cutting and the concomitant encouragement of private enterprise’s entrance in areas formally reserved for the public or private nonprofit sector. (Rose, 1991)

Influential Factors

The years between 1979 and the early 1990s were years of growth in congressional funding, state budgets, and adult student enrollment (Eyre, 1991, p. 16), this was especially true for adult education in regard to literacy programs, educational services for immigrants and refugees as well as adult basic education . In a shift of major proportions, the locus of educational policy making moved from the federal governments to the states. (Ravitch, 1990, p. 2) and in terms of literacy initiatives, several efforts both public and private were launched.

Adult Educators, Programs and Organizations

In the 1980’s, education’s focus was on excellence, high school curriculum, whole language, old math vs. new math, a new national assessment of education progress, issues of governance, increased adult education program evaluation, and workforce literacy (Eyre, 2013, p.16).

In 1981 the nongovernmental Coalition for Literacy was established (Rose, 1991 p. 25), with a focus on the use of volunteer educators to decrease operation costs associated with running the program. Volunteers were cost effective when it came to the operating budget for the program, and their focus remained on combating the problem of illiteracy. In 1983 President Reagan announced the Secretary of Education’s Adult Literacy Initiative, this program like the nongovernmental Coalition for Literacy, also focused on the use of volunteers to oversee the program efforts. These volunteer efforts eventually budded into other types of community education classes and adult education programs, such as classes for aging adults, training for the homeless and low income families as well as those who were incarcerated in county jails and state prisons.

Even through adult literacy was a big priority for both the government and private programs, it would come too late for millions of American adults already living in illiteracy. Many of them appeared to manage well enough by relying on familiarity, memorization, and sheer bluff, yet as the magnitude of the problem claimed the national spotlight, more and more illiterate adults seemed willing to come forward, admit their difficultly, and try to do something about it (Eyre, 2013).

Implication

The 1980’s were a decade when politicians and educators realized the need to work together to combat issues surrounding financial and educations deficits in the United States. The government came to the realization that the education of adults increases the ability for those unemployed to obtain employment and retain their positions, which gradually dropped the poverty rate in turn leading to faster economic recovery and growth of the nation.

Social Background

• Advances in Information Technology

• Speed of Information Sharing

• National Debt Crisis

• End of Cold War

Highlights

• War on Drugs

• War on Poverty

• Literacy Crisis

• Drugs/Crime

• Unemployment

Influential Factors

• Quality of Education

• Growth in Funding

• Education Reform

• Reduction of the Federal Role in Education

• Economic Recovery Tax Act

• Adult Literacy Initiative

Implications

• Focus on Program Improvement

• Economic Recovery

References

Brain, M. (2006, May 18). 12 New Technologies in the 1980s. Retrieved February 13, 2018, from https://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gadgets/other-gadgets/80s-tech.htm

Chang, B. (n.d.). Shift of Adult Education Research [Scholarly project]. Ball State University, USA

Eyre, G, Pawloski, R 2013, An American Heritage: Federal Adult Education A Legislative History 1964-2013, US Department of Education, Washington, DC

Glass, A., Hounshell, B., Rosenberg, M. L., Debenedetti, G., & Shafer, J. (2018, February 18). Reagan outlines plan for economic recovery, Feb. 18, 1981. Retrieved February 18, 2018, from http://www.politico.com/story/2018/02/18/this-day-in-politics-february-18-1981-415852

Ravitch, D. (2016, November 18). Education in the 1980's: A Concern for 'Quality'. Retrieved February 13, 2018, from https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/1990/01/10/09200009.h09.html?cmp=eml-contshr-shr

Rose, A. D., & ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult, C. O. (1991). Ends or Means: An Overview of the History of the Adult Education Act. Information Series No. 346.