Rethinking the organization of Adult Literacy Education in Kenya : Shifting Adult Literacy Education ( ALE ) to the Ministry of Education for effective management

Formal education is the key to individual and national development. Kenya introduced adult literacy education soon after independence because majority of the Africans, who were the majority in the country and in whose hands the country was now placed, were illiterate due to colonial racial discrimination. Fifty years down the line, 38.5% adult Kenyans are illiterate. This paper seeks to highlight the reason for this, despite the country’s commitment at international level where she is a signatory to various charters and conventions on “Education for All (EFA)” and at home where she has made various policies towards minimizing and even eradicating illiteracy. It is opinioned that the management of Adult Literacy Education by the Ministry of Gender and Social Services has denied her the advantages of higher financial allocations and expert management enjoyed by other educational sectors in the country. It is recommended that the management of ALE is shifted to the Ministry of Education and the teaching and learning be done within the primary and secondary school premises by regular school teachers outside the normal school teaching timetable. It is further recommended that stakeholders brainstorm and carry out empirical studies to ascertain the practicability of this suggestion. Key words; Adult Literacy Education, Ministry of Gender, Sports, Culture and Social Services, Ministry of education, management, shift Introduction Formal education plays a key role in the development of the individual and nation. It is regarded as the key that unlocks the door to development (Thompson, 1981). This is because formal education produces people who contribute immensely to the growth and development of society (Arko, & Addison, 2009). Educated people are wiser, more knowledgeable, better informed, and ethically responsible and are able to identify harmful practices and replace them by useful one. Education strengthens individuals’ and societies’ problem solving capacity so that they realize their full potential and participate meaningfully in society and are capable of continuing to learn (Tuli, 2009). Parents’ engagement in adult literacy classes has a positive International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development June 2014, Vol. 3, No. 3 (Special Issue)


Introduction
Formal education plays a key role in the development of the individual and nation.It is regarded as the key that unlocks the door to development (Thompson, 1981).This is because formal education produces people who contribute immensely to the growth and development of society (Arko, & Addison, 2009).Educated people are wiser, more knowledgeable, better informed, and ethically responsible and are able to identify harmful practices and replace them by useful one.Education strengthens individuals' and societies' problem solving capacity so that they realize their full potential and participate meaningfully in society and are capable of continuing to learn (Tuli, 2009).Parents' engagement in adult literacy classes has a positive relationship with their children's retention and performance in school (Amenyah, 2012).On average, each high school dropout costs the U.S. economy about $260, 000 in lost earnings, taxes and productivity over his or her working lifetime, compared with a high school graduate (Amos, 2008 in Maclendon et al., n.d).
Developed and developing countries recognize the fact that formal education is a prerequisite for growth and development and so they try to provide quality formal education for their citizens.Studies of the more advanced countries, notably the United States, Denmark and Japan, during the period of their economic growth and development; suggest that there had been a very significant relationship between their economic growth and the quality of formal education provided to their citizens (Thompson, 1981in Arko, & Addison, 2009).For every year, the average schooling level of the population is raised; there is a corresponding increase of 3.7% in long-term economic growth (Hammond, 2010).
Adult literacy was undertaken by many developing countries between 1950and 1980(Abadze, 1994)).The impetus for further promotion and strengthening of individual countries and international efforts came as a result of EFA conference in Jomtien, Thailand in 1990, which endorsed education as a fundamental right, and proclaimed education as a tool to help ensure a healthier, more environmentally sound world, contributing to personal and social improvement as well as economic and cultural progress.Its discourses hinged on learning for life and learning for sustainable development.The Jomtien declaration aimed at meeting the basic learning needs of every person, e.g., child, youth and adult.The conference appealed to international financial agencies to come to the aid of adult literacy programs in terms of funding (Carm, 2013).This was followed by the Hamburg declaration made in CONFINTEA V in 1997, which assessed the status of literacy and set out agenda for the future.A decade after the Jomtien EFA, another AFA conference was held in Dakar, Senegal in 2000.It reaffirmed the Jomtien declaration, and further issued the Dakar framework for Action which stipulates Six EFA goals to be achieved by 2015; goal 3 & 4 clearly emphasizes the need for countries to promote learning and skills for young people and adults, and also to increase adult literacy by 50% by 2015.
Literacy is the ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate and compute using printed and written materials associated with varying contexts.It involves a continuum of learning in enabling individuals to achieve his or her goals, develop his or her knowledge and potential and participate fully in community and wider society (UNESCO, 2003).The connection between literacy and development is illustrated by the fact that the world's poorest countries are the ones with the highest illiteracy rates, meaning that literacy liberates untapped human potential and leads to increased productivity and better living conditions (Bamgbose, 1991).This is further reaffirmed by Joseph Stiglitz in Kigoni (2013), past president of the World Bank and globalization researcher, when he strongly stated that; "What separates developed from less developed countries is not a gap in resources but a gap in knowledge, which is why investments in education and technology are so important." In recognition of education's value, the United Nations General Assembly launched the United Nations Literacy Decade in 2003.This marked the beginning of a decade that sought to eradicate illiteracy through making education available to all.At the end of the decade, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) reported that literacy rates had risen from 81.4% to 84.1% between 1995 and 2010, leaving approximately 775, 408, 031illiterate adults remaining globally (UNESCO 2013& Schwartz, 2013).Despite the gains attained in this decade, significant work remains to be accomplished (Heidorn, 2012).Schwartz (2013), in reference to the message in Global Monitoring Report 2012, reported that although many countries have intensified their education efforts, the Education for All (EFA) goals from 2000 have grandiosely failed to be achieved.
Adult education program in Kenya begun in the 1960's and 1970's (Bunyi, 2006)).In 1979, the eradication of illiteracy was made a priority by the government because it was realized that illiteracy was an impediment to development (Aluoch, 2005).Initially, a huge resource commitment to the program was made by the government and other organizations like UNESCO resulting into very high learner enrolment.But support for the program has steadily decreased and attendance and dropout rates have increased (Bunyi, 2006).Over the years however, there has been concern that the program that once thrived was doing very badly so that 50 years after the introduction of adult education, many Kenyans still lack the minimum literacy level required to participate in national development, reported the Education, Science and Technology cabinet secretary of Kenya, Joseph Kaimenyi (N'geno , 2013).Less than 15 % of the country's youth enter middle and higher level institutions with over 80% of the rest entering the non-formal sector after school.A total of 38.5% (7.8 million in absolute numbers) adults in the country are illiterate (Kenya Country Team, 2008).ALE has become low-keyed, ineffective and characterized by poor participation, making it impossible to achieve the goals of adult literacy (Aluoch, 2005) despite legislations and policy establishments that have been made to boost this sector of education.It is imperative therefore that chang in the curriculum and the organization of the program if the intended goals have to be realized.

Problem statement
In Kenya, adult literacy education has always been coordinated by the Adult Board of Education, a department within the ministry of social affairs.Since the 1960s when adult education was introduced, illiteracy is still high in the country (38.5%).One of the major setbacks hindering the attainment of high literacy levels in the country is poor funding of the sector.This review is based on the thought that if ALE is moved to the ministry of Education, it will benefit from the well laid administrative structure and infrastructure which may enable this sector of education to operate more efficiently with less financial constraints.

Adult Education in Kenya
History of Adult Literacy Education in Kenya Formal education in Kenya was introduced by missionaries who introduced reading to spread Christianity ( Eshwani, 1985in Abdi, 2012) They taught practical subjects such as carpentry and gardening which at first, were mainly useful around missions.The Frazer report of 1909 recommended the establishment of separate education systems for Europeans, Asians and Africans.Consequently, education in Kenya was organized on racial lines.There were different education curricula for each race and hence different education systems within Kenya.Thus colonial education was inadequate in quantity and scope and its overall objectives were narrow and restrictive (Abdi, 2012).At independence therefore, only a handful of Kenyans were illiterate including those that had gone to school given the definition of literacy as the ability to read and make sense of it.
Adult education programs begun in the 1960s and 1970s in Kenya ( Bunyi, 2006).In 1979, the eradication of illiteracy was made a priority by the government because it was realized that illiteracy was an impediment to development (Aluoch, 2005).This led to a huge resource commitment to the program, resulting into very high learner enrolment.But support for the program has steadily decreased and attendance and dropout rates have increased (Bunyi, 2006).Over the years however, there has been concern that the program that once thrived was doing very badly.It has become low-keyed and ineffective and characterized by poor participation, making it impossible to achieve the goals of adult literacy (Aluoch, 2005).The National Adult Literacy Survey conducted in 2007 revealed that 61.5% of the adult population had attained the minimum literacy level thus leaving 38.5% (7.8 million in absolute numbers) adults illiterate.The survey also showed that only 29.6% out of the 61.5% of the adult population with minimum literacy level had acquired the desired mastery literacy and numeracy competency.About 29.9% of the youth aged 15 to 19 years and 49% of adults aged 45 to 49 years were illiterate.The survey showed high regional disparity in literacy achievements with Nairobi province having 87.1% and North Eastern province 8%.There also exists gender disparity in literacy levels with men rated at 64.1% and women at 58.9% (Kenya County Team, 2008& Kebathi, 2008).

The goals of ALE in Kenya
The goals of adult learning education in Kenya are; 1.
Instilling the love for Kenya and its diverse cultures, promoting national unity and helping the citizens appreciate their obligations, roles, rights and interdependency at the international arena.2.
Offering knowledge, technical and vocational skills that enable individuals to be the best they can be so as to participate effectively in national development as well as in improving the quality of their own lives; 3.
Helping the citizenry participate effectively and intelligently in the sustainable management of their natural and other resources and in the conservation of the environment for their very survival and that of the rest of the world; and 4.
Instilling positive values and attitudes that are needed for selfactualization, defense of the poor and the needy and for effective participation in democratic processes (Kenya Country Team, 2008 ) .

Legal Basis of Adult Literacy Education
The right to education is protected in the Kenyan Bill of rights which speaks of the right to a basic education.This denotes the fact that everyone has the right to basic education including adults.It is, therefore, the responsibility and core function of the government to provide quality basic education to its citizens irrespective of age, gender, economic status or any other consideration.ACE is also catered for in the Education Act Cap.211 Laws of Kenya which govern the overall education sector in the country.
The Government of Kenya has consistently recognized the Important role played by ALE in bringing out the maximum potential of the human resource for individual, community and national development.Government recognition and commitment to promotion of adult learning is evident in policy statements and pronouncements made in the last fifteen years.Some of the important policy documents and initiatives which demonstrate Government commitment to the promotion of adult learning include;

The Administration of ALE in Kenya
The core responsibility for ACE rests in the ministry of Gender, Sports, Culture and Social Services (MGSCSS) as provided for within the legislative and policy framework which guides the general education sector (Kenya Country Team, 2008).Due to its heterogeneous and diverse nature, ACE is aligned to policies in other sectors beyond the mainstream education.The sector is run under the auspices of the Board of Adult Education (BAE) which was established in 1966 through an Act of Parliament, Cap 223 Laws of Kenya, as the statutory body mandated to coordinate, advice and regulate promotion of Adult and Continuing Education (ACE) in Kenya.Within the ministry also is a fully fledged department of Adult Education mandated to provide literacy and other forms of education to adults and out of school youth.Other Government ministries and departments also provide ALE that is relevant and in tune with their respective areas of jurisdiction and specialization.These ministries include those responsible for education, agriculture, health, information, provincial administration and environmental conservation, among others.Most of these providers are members of the BAE.
The Kenya Institute of Curriculum and Development is mandated by the law of Kenya to conduct research, prepare syllabuses for various levels of education including adult education, preparing teaching and evaluation materials to support these syllabuses including books, teacher's guides and other teaching materials.To facilitate effective adoption and implementation of these, the institute disseminates new information and technologies to teachers and program leaders for example education officers and inspectors of various levels as is necessary through seminars and workshop (Education Act, 2007).
Adult learning and education is a shared responsibility with different providers being responsible for financing their own operations.The providers include central and local governments, the private sector, NGOs, development partners and donors such as German Technical Cooperation (GTZ), UNICEF, UNESCO, the German Adult Education (DVV-IIZ), communities and even individuals.It is therefore difficult to determine the actual level of resources that get invested in adult learning in any one year (Country Team, 2008).Government management of ALE is centralized.However as far as implementation and monitoring of programs is concerned, the government has relevant field officers at various levels with authority to implement and monitor programs and make decisions at the provincial and district levels.Major issues, especially those with national ramifications however, have to be referred to head offices for decision s at the national level.Different agencies that offer ALE manage their own programs (Country Team, 2008).

Challenges of Adult Literacy Education
Kenya as a nation is faced with a multitude of challenges that impact negatively on its development.These challenges include poverty with about 45.9% of the population living below the poverty line, endemic illnesses and diseases such as malaria, HIV and AIDS, and other poverty-related illnesses; outdated customs such as FGM and others that impact negatively on gender relations; and those to do with national unity and cohesion (Country Team, 2008).
According to Archer (2013) when money is scarce, in practice the funds flow to traditional formal education and not adult education (or even early childhood education) which will continue to be seen as luxuries.Adult education will always be left underfunded.The literature accessed indicates that the root cause of the challenges facing Adult Education in Kenya is poor funding.It is reported by Heirdon (2012) that annually, in the national budgetary allocation adult education receives only 1% of the money allocated to education, leaving it inadequately funded.While it is unfair to compare a ministry with several sub-sectors and a department, it is worth noting that ALE as a sub-sector of education is inadequately funded taking into consideration the magnitude of adult illiteracy and the need to encourage adults to keep learning through post literacy and other continuing education programs (Country Team, 2008).
The program is operated without a curriculum to guide the teachers, who singlehandedly decide on the content in disregard of the learners' needs.The 3Rs and language skills are the most taught, but some teachers teach primary school subjects to adult learners.While the method used should always focus on learning rather than teaching, and be geared towards problem-solving rather than information-giving, teachers use the primer (whole word) approach rather than reflect or whole language, which are more innovative and involve the learners in the learning process.Teachers therefore oppose instructional innovations that give learners control over the subjects they learn and over their classrooms (Aluoch, 2005).
The quality of the output is always determined by the input and process measures of educational quality.Thus supervision is critical in the development of any educational curriculum in both developed and developing countries (Panigrahi, 2012).The survey of 2007 revealed that monitoring and evaluation of ACE programs was inadequate because the supervisors were ill-equipped to reach all the learning centers.This is even more critical for ALE in Kenya since most of the teachers particularly those in the categories of self-help and parttime teachers were found be lacking adequate skills for delivery in adult classes (Country Team, 2008).According to Aluoch (2005), the program is operated without a curriculum to guide the teachers, who single-handedly decide on the content in disregard of the learners' needs.The 3Rs and language skills are the most taught, but some teachers teach primary school subjects to adult learners.While the method used should always focus on learning rather than teaching, and be geared towards problem-solving rather than information-giving, teachers use the primer (whole word) approach rather than REFLECT or whole language, which are more innovative and involve the learners in the learning process.Teachers therefore oppose instructional innovations that give learners control over the subjects they learn and over their classrooms.As if that is not enough, teachers had no guides, curriculum or reference materials to guide them.They therefore had great difficulties determining the starting point for learners.This led to lack of detailed content, sequence, uniformity and standardized teaching.Learners generally lacked relevant reading materials in all the centers.
The ALE learning centers lack adequate and relevant teaching and learning materials.Most of the learning venues are community-owned (schools, churches, mosques, community halls, etc.) and the furniture in most of these venues is inappropriate for adult learners and learning (National Report, 2007) Learners lack learning materials for their private study at home except the primary books for their children, which are irrelevant to their needs.Hence they learn only at the centers, which are not purpose-built for adults.The seats for example cannot ensure concentration in class while lack of toilets in many centers poses a health risk (Aluoch, 2005).
Vocational education which is part of ALE, since it is an essential educational system should be properly and adequately administered and supervised if its goals and objectives are to be attained.According to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, in the National Policy on Education (2004), the teacher education is important because no education system can rise above the quality of its teacher.The aim of teacher education is to produce personnel equipped with the knowledge of the subject matter and the teaching skills to teach in the school system.Education being the life wire of any nation for all facets of development should be quite alive and active (Jimoh, 2011).
The acute shortage of adult education teachers in Kenya is an issue of concern as it generally undermines effective promotion of literacy and adult education in the country.The number of literacy teachers has continued to drop over the years, leading to the situation where the lowest administrative units (locations and wards) in the country have only a few literacy classes.A comparative study shows that while at the inception of the DAE in 1979 the government employed 3,000 full time teachers, this figure had steadily fallen to 1792 in 2006, indicating a 40% decline.Government has hence resulted to employing part time teachers.At the end of the year 2007, for example, there were 5273 adult education teachers in the country as per the DAE records.Among these, 1650 were full time teachers, 3415 worked as part time teachers and 208 offered their services for free (Country Team, 2008).Full time teaches stabilize programs, the large number of part-time teachers therefore indicates instability of the ALE program in Kenya.
Adult Education teachers are poorly paid.Although there are teachers fully paid by the government, the majority of the teachers working in ACE programs are self-help and part-time teachers who are paid a token for volunteering to teach adults.Even those working in classes run by non-state actors are not well remunerated.This scenario helps to explain the low caliber of facilitators being attracted to the ACE profession and the low morale (Country Team, 2008).
Many people in Kenya were unaware of the existence of Adult Education programs.The study revealed that only 31 % of the Kenyan adult population was aware of the existence of the ACE programs.The Department of Adult Education has at least one centre in every administrative location but because of the size of these areas, not everyone would be aware of the centre.have to be travelling fairly long distances to the centers (200 m-2 km), causing low participation (Aluoch, 2005).
It is not surprising therefore that fifty years after its inception, illiteracy is still high in the country and to make it worse, although the national literacy rate was estimated at 61.5 % indicating that 38.5 % were illiterate, the survey also revealed that there was low mastery of literacy competency in the country.Only 29.6 % of the adult population had acquired the desired mastery level of literacy.The implication is that the majority of those people measured as literate (61.5 %) is at risk of losing their literacy skills or cannot effectively perform within the context of knowledge economies.

Benefits of shifting ABE into the Ministry of Education
The Education Act gives the minister of Education the mandate to promote the education of the people of Kenya and the progressive development of institutions devoted to the promotion of education.He/ she is to secure the effective co-operation, under his general direction or control, of all public bodies concerned with education in carrying out the national policy of education (Education Act, 2007).On this basis, it is implied that ALE, being an educational program with similar objectives like those of other educational programs should be under the jurisdiction of the ministry.
If adult literacy education is managed under the ministry of education, it will benefit from expert leadership found within the sector.Moreover, it will enjoy the political will as it shares the infrastructure found within the ministry.When put within the Ministry of Education, the literacy program will at least be sure of well-trained professional staff at all levels (Aluoch, 2005).It will be liberated from the isolation which has over the years put the literacy program in a cocoon that has made it unknown to the majority of the public save for its robust activities during the International Literacy Day celebrations in September.
Traditionally, schools in rural communities play many roles.In addition to providing for basic education, they serve as social and cultural centers.They are places for sports, theater, music and other civic activities ( Lyson, 2002).With the Kenyan government plan to introduce use of computers by primary school students, it means each school will be provided with electricity increasing their benefits to their communities for example as communication centers.This will qualify them as the best centers for learning for all groups of people.Based on this historical trend, I wish to differ with Aluoch (2005) who posits that ALE centers should be established away from the traditional schools.Bearing in mind limited financial resources allocated to ALE, if his view is taken, then ALE will continue to stagnate or decline altogether.Rather, it would be more economical if ALE would take advantage of the available resources already existing in schools but only add those that are not available as well as provide those appropriate for the use of adult learners, for example desks and chairs.
The literature reviewed did not indicate the existence of continuous supervision of instruction in the ALE program in Kenya as is expected of any educational program.Because of the importance of the program and because public and private funds however minimal are invested, it is important that the program is supervised.Supervisors are expected to assess the attainment of the expected educational objectives of the program (Panigrahi, 2012).It might be that because of lack of supervision, adult illiteracy is still high in the country.Putting the management of ALE into the ministry of education docket would benefit the sector with qualified supervisors and well laid infrastructure like vehicles for use in the exercise.Based on the suggestion of this study, ALE classes if done within existing schools by the same teachers, would greatly reduce costs.
Supervision of instruction is urgently needed in the case of ALE in Kenya because of shortage of certified teachers.Nakpodia (2006) in Panigrahi (2012 asserts that instructional supervision is important for the improvement of the teaching-learning situation for the benefits of both the teachers and learners.It helps in the identification of areas of strength and weaknesses of teachers, follow-up activities directed at the improvement of identified areas of teacher's weaknesses as well as helping teachers in terms of self-discovery particularly in the areas of improvising and use of modern teaching aids as a basis for improving teaching strategies. There is no clear stated curriculum followed in the adult education program in the Kenya.The providers be it the government or private providers, teach basic literacy skills, monitor and examine their own programs.Those that teach students beyond basic literacy skills prepare them for national examinations sat by children in the normal school programs that is KCPE and KCSE (Country Team, 2008, & Empowering, 2014).Empower Projects for example run an organization called Ufalme Community Organization through the Reformation School in Juja (Thika District) and Kasarani (Nairobi) areas through which it offers Basic Literacy skills to those who are illiterate followed by a Post Literacy program for those who complete basic literacy and would like to improve their communication skills and general knowledge.Non-Formal Education is conducted for those adults who are literate but never completed primary or secondary school.They are taken through the normal syllabus and then sit national examinations and are awarded either the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education or the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (Empower Projects, 2014).From this view, it is evident that integrating ALE into the mainstream formal education would not present new and challenging programs to the formal school sector in terms of content.The teachers can ably handle the ALE syllabuses.
Teachers in the normal school programs have proved to have time for extra work given extra pay.Teachers in formal schools in Kenya have extended curriculum delivery into breaks, lunch, after school, during weekends and school holidays.This is normally done at a cost.Tevzadze (2004in Mburugu, 2011) associated this with low levels of teacher's salaries.Though Mburugu (2011) in her study did not find this as a reason for private tuition, the fact that teachers will always charge a fee for teaching implies the desire for extra money.If teachers in the formal school program are used to teach ALE classes, this may help satisfy their need for money.It will also curb the illegal practice of extra teaching which, though banned by the government for its negative effects on learners, still continues unabated (Mburugu, 2011).It is therefore thought that if teachers are requested to teach ALE classes at other designated times other than the normal school time, they might readily accept.Ireland has successfully employed the services of a range of staff including qualified post-primary teachers doing extra work and other professionals who hold down day jobs to teach ALE classes (Department of Education and Science, Ireland, 2008).
The Chronic shortage of ALE teachers inKenya is not about to end given national financial constraints which cause the prioritization of formal to informal education.Employment of new teachers is already a problem for the nation because of the economic challenges that she is facing.In 2010, for example, only 880 adult education teachers were hired by the government as a way of addressing the teacher shortage for the program (Ng'eno, 2013).Such a number is not even equal to a drop in the sea given the size of the nation.It is my belief that if merged with normal school, the addition of many teachers may not be necessary; however, the need will depend on the teacher need of every school.Teachers who choose to participate in ALE will be equipped with adult education teaching methodologies through inservice training commonly referred to as School-based Teacher Development (SbTD) which was first introduced in Kenya in 2001 to help primary school teachers improve their skills.The program is best for teachers who will act as ALE teachers since it adopted a distance learning model which means that teachers undertake studies while teaching their classes (Bunyi et al., 2013).
Many teachers who have pursued higher professional training have not only advanced their expertise and general education in the original lines of specialization but many have gone back to universities and colleges to specialize as teachers of other levels/types of education other than those in which they were initially trained in.Many primary school teachers have gone back to train as secondary or special education teachers.It is possible therefore to get volunteers from among the teachers who can be trained on methods of teaching adults.

Other benefits of shifting ABE into the normal school programs
 Easy advocacy/promotion of ALE through school parents meeting, by teachers and pupils etc.If schools are made adult learning centers and the teachers in these school who in most cases are residents of the communities, promotion of adult education would be easy.Teachers and their conventional learners (children) are members of the communities in which prospective adult education students come from, it would be easy for them to know about the presence of ALE program.Furthermore, through parent meetings such programs would be further promoted. Teachers already have a salary, only a stipend for teaching adult education classes will be enough for them. Use of school infrastructure for example classrooms and appropriate teaching and learning materials such as the chalk board.It is true that not all the facilities in school will be fit for adult learners, but a number of them like the chalk board, class rooms , computers , school vehicles and personnel including grounds men, secretaries, accounts clerks/ bursar, janitors ( all support staff) will be available for the service of adult students with probably minimal extra costs incurred.
 Proximity to communities, given that in almost every village in Kenya there is at least one primary school.Literacy classes are supposed to target local populations in their communities and classes have to be available and reachable (UNESCO, 2006in Amenyah, 2011).The establishment of village day secondary schools would be an added advantage for those who wish to further their education. Distance would not bar prospective adult education learners from attending school because they are within reach to their homes.This means that they would spend less time to and from school.Experiments and demonstration can be done in school laboratories and gardens in conventional schools particularly secondary schools adult education learners who wish to further their education will find the necessary facilities necessary in the study of practical subjects such as the science, clothing and textile and home science subjects.They will access the laboratories and their equipments as well as the demonstration gardens for agriculture practicals.This is best illustrated by Aderogba ( 2011) who based on his study on laboratories and sustainable teaching and learning about senior secondary school Geography in Nigeria, opinioned that teaching Geography theoretically leads to poor interest at registration, participation in class and performance in external examinations.

Conclusion
Adult education under the management of the ministry of education will benefit from the expertise of its personnel as well as the fairly well established infrastructure.In doing so, the efficiency and effectiveness of the program will be realized leading the realization of the national and international objective of reducing adult illiteracy in as a means to reduction of poverty and its associated effects.Poverty reduction at individual and household levels of citizens equals national development.It is important that empirical studies are done to establish the actual prospects of integrating ALE into the ministry of education.This will lay a firm foundation for making policy guidelines that will guide the implementation of the suggested management structure.
a. Master Plan on Education and Training (MPET) 1997-2010: This is a report of a commission established by the Government in 1997 to review policies, development objectives and strategies to guide the education sector into the 21 st Century.The report recommended strengthening and expansion of the Adult Basic Literacy Program (ABLP) to cater for adults and out of school youth.It also links education with the national development goal of industrialization by the year 2020.This is a government and donor initiative for funding program in the education sector to fulfill the MDGs and EFA goals in Kenya.ACE is one of the 23 investments program in this initiative.f.Economic Recovery Strategy for Wealth and Employment (ERSWEC) 2003-2007, which emphasizes that education, is a key determinant of earnings and therefore an exit route from poverty.Education improves people's ability to take advantage of the opportunities that can improve their well being as individuals and be able to participate more effectively in the communities.It notes that education for mothers in particular, significantly affects the health status of the entire family. .National Poverty Eradication Strategy 1997-2010, where the Government asserts its commitment to poverty eradication.One way of achieving this is through provision of quality education to all particularly adults and out of school youths who are the workers and producers.
b.The report on Totally Integrated Quality Education and Training (TIQET) of 1999.The report recognized the heterogeneity and diverse nature of ALE provision in the country and recommended for strengthened partnerships between the government and other stakeholders with a view to enlisting them into effective and expanded delivery of ALE programs for adult learning.c.Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) 2001-2003 recognizes that education for adults plays an important role in human resource development and is an important strategy for poverty reduction and economic recovery.d.Sessional Paper No. 1 of 2005 is a Policy Framework for Education, Training and Research which recognizes ACE as a vehicle for transformation and empowerment of individuals and the society.The paper calls for integration of adult and continuing education into a national qualifications network.e. Kenya Education Sector Support Program (KESSP) 2005-2010 g.Gender Policy in Education (2007) that underlines the need to increase participation of illiterate adults, especially women and out of school youth in gender equitable basic literacy and continuing adult education programs.h.Kenya Vision 2030 where the Government aims at providing globally competitive quality education, training and research for development.The strategy paper also commits the country to achieving an 80% adult literacy rate by the year 2030.ij.The National Youth Policy (2007), which in-cooperates youths in Government activities, and addresses issues of youth empowerment for sustainable livelihood.k.The National Youth Policy for Polytechnics (2007), is a cabinet paper that has developed a legal framework for the management and governance of youth polytechnics.It addresses issues of technical and vocational training of youths for acquisition of relevant skills for socio-economic development.l.Policy Paper on Adult and Continuing Education (2007).