Saud Alotaibi EDAC 631 - History of Adult Education in the 1960s

  

 

 

 

 

History of Adult and Community Education in the 1960s

Saud Alotaibi

Ball State University

Professor Dr. Bo Chang

 EDAC 631 Adult and Community Education Spring 2022

 

 

 

Your Name	Comment on
Saud Alotaibi	Nichole Flick Lyston Louks

 

 

 

Introduction/ Social Background

The golden age as many describing the 1960s decade is one of the most controversial decades that the United State has experienced in the modern area in which it witnessed enormous shifts in the countries in many stages. This period of time took its place of importance in which the second World War was over as well as the hottest scene in the age of Cold war. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republic was at that decade in its most development in many aspects like military technology innovations (Gregg 2016, p.1,2). Hence, the United State was the competitor as a great power in the world. This political status of the 1960s bought out in this essay to emphasize the external factor that might in a such way be effective or stimulator for political elites of the United States to enhance the quality more effectively many aspects in the country. For example, in Alabama state during the early of civil war, and to enhance the quality of education some teachers were dismissed for many reasons as being behind the United States goals. Thus, the crisis got the local and federal government to decrease the education fund in 1961 which does not go for along. Hence, the education fund was highly rose in 1965 for the double (Gordon 2015). 

Additionally, the foreign factors that stimulate the public opinion and the operation of officials’ realization of the educational status in the United States served as a threshold advance the status to a next step for development that certainly engages adult education in a huge part (Rose 1994, p.6). While the 1960s decade was witnessing many events that we can think of as crucial factors for the emergence of many changes in different stages, there were many responses to those changes. The United States in the 1960s decade after it had been in the Second World War, the country got to another destructive war which Vietnamese war. Moreover, in the domestic matter, the United States government was facing societal demands for social changes in the dimension of ethnic groups rights. Hence, there was the social movement for the African American people. Additionally, the cumulative increase of the circumstances was presented and other, the United States experienced an economic depression facing the government in the time of having massive numbers of young people who are characterized as the result of “baby boom” that has happened after the Second World War (Farming in the 50s & 60s). Thus, the United States was facing profound economic problems as stated by Kantor (1991) that “the expansion of federal education policy in the 1960s was based on widely held assumptions about the nature of poverty and about the role of the state and its relation to the economy. These assumptions made educational reform central to Great Society policies designed to eliminate poverty and equalize economic opportunity.” (Kantor 1991, p.51).

Highlights

            In the 1960s decade the United States faced several problems, as we will discuss later as influential factors, as well as other issues become consequence of unsolved problems in the previous time such as unemployment and poverty. These profound problems were characterized as major threats to the Great Society which resulted different movements pursuing changes in their life conditions (Federal Adult Education 2013, p.7). It resulted a progression toward more equality on variety of sectors that have been implemented in many notable acts. We put an emphasis on three major acts that we claim to have much effect on the educational system of adult in the United States. These acts are and the vocational act (1963), the economic opportunity act (1964), and the adult education act (1966).

            As the problem of the lack of skills among adult citizens during the 1960s was observed, there was much emphasis on the fund for enhancing the adults’ education and skills. The need of this fund come to be part of the solution of unemployment dilemma of that decade. Vocational education act was aiming to provide appropriate programs to adults and make it accessible for all who need despite different types of groups specification. Also, vocational education act was aiming to enhancing economy throughout enhancing the workforce in the country. Since the act signed as a law the federal government has specified a fixed amount of fund that exceeded 150 million dollars (U.S Department of Health, Education, and Welfare 1965, p.3-9).

            Economic opportunity act (1964) is considered as the cornerstone of the adult education in terms of little duration but more efficiency. Unlike Vocational education act, economic opportunity act was more effective in which it has operated organization to serve its sequences acts that considered supportive to the main purpose of this act. During the second month in office, president J.F Kennedy recognized the national necessity of investment on human resources. Thus, in the August 20, 1964, the legislation proposal singed to be law (Federal Adult Education 2013, p.10,11). Economic opportunity act was mainly aiming to “sought to remedy the inequities of educational disadvantage by offering persons 18 years of age (16 years of age P.L, 91-230: 1970) and older the opportunity to develop reading, writing; language and arithmetic skills to enable them to obtain or retain employment and otherwise participate more fully as productive and responsible citizens.” (National Advisory Council on Adult Education 1980, p.10). Thus, the economic opportunity act is taking the responsibility toward U.S citizens to improve their basic educational knowledge in order to enhancing their opportunities to have suitable jobs which eventually and indirectly empower the local market.

            Lastly, as consequence of economic opportunity act, adult education act was revealed to serve higher purposes and continuing the aims of economic opportunity act. In the 1966 the United States federal government realized that adult education should be separated from the economic opportunity act that aiming to diminish poverty, and hence President Johnson’s administration asserted to have a different found for adult education. Thus, by recognizing the core of adult education as lifelong education that needs to be a service to the Great Society in terms of adult education and literacy improvement, President Johnson signed the adult education act on 1966 and guaranteed the federal support to consolidate adult education in the country (Federal Adult Education 2013, p.11,12).

Influential factors

The 1960s decade has been featured in its uniqueness of operating new legislative acts that hold series of political, economic, and social shifts in the United States. These shits played the role of stimulation for new acts toward different issues to bring or reconstructing social changes. Notable acts were legislated for many purposes. Those acts are civil rights act, voting rights act, and equal pay act (History.com Editors 2020). Highlighting these social terns in my perspective is the most important since the fact that the political movements and groups seeking changes are not limited on the political realm, but it goes beyond to hold crucial changes in the social and economic stages. Hence, I am highlighting these issues in the 1960s decade to emphasize the political context impacts. However, there are many social and political issues in the 1960s that we do not focus on.

            Civil rights movement (1964) was a moment that all people of color were looking for more rights in different aspects in their life. Civil rights movement was a representative of the African American people struggle in their life. Thus, during the tragic time of the Second World War Black men and women have served the country even there was racial discrimination (History.com Editors). The early time of the civil right movement was bringing gains for African American people in the matter of education. As Rosa Parks was the first spark of the movement in Alabama, her case was acted on by the Supreme court in 1956. Thus, the immediate actions were taken by the Supreme court were toward the racial segregation in public schools in 1957. The movement resist for several years advocating for their rights. As a consequence, President J.F Kennedy had signed the initiative draft for the Civil Rights Act before he has been assassinated. Therefore, President Lyndon Johnson signed the act in 1964 (History.com Editors). The civil right movement brought a new set of the division of rights which reflects on the social classes in the United States and thus it created different needs and reinstructions for many other domains like education opportunities and job market.

            As the 1960s decade characterized as the decade that holding the shits for the United States’ society, voting rights act is another core factor in which it brought major changes in the country. Even though the right of vote was supported and legislated by the federal government after the civil war in 1870, many practices were done by white officials and citizens to prevent people of color from voting. Another issue was considered a huge problem to overcome the unequal turnout was the situation of illiteracy for African American especially in the southern states. Hence, African American were not to comprehend the literacy tests were provided by the officials to vote. As a result, and as one of the outcomes of the civil rights movement, the people’s demands encounter this issue which got the Congress to pass the bill of voting right law which got signed by President Johnson in 1965. The law was for the abolition the literacy tests that preventing ignorant African American to vote (History.com Editors). This issue identifies the social problematic of ethnic groups.

            Continuing the political issues in the 1960s decade that have embedding influential elements to the whole public policies from that time to the present, we need to put the spotlight upon the issue of equal pay rights. This issue of old problem of wage discrimination has been raised after the end of Second World War when many men forced to serve abroad and had women to replace their positions in many sectors. After much pressure the equal pay revealed to the real as an act in 1963 during president J.F. Kennedy (History.com Editors 2017). This act, in our perspective, is not less important the previous highlights in which it put an emphasis on the role of women in the societal order. Hence, it is demonstrating the progression of different rights to provide equal advocacy of different legislation proposals. Furthermore, equal right act (1963) represents the fact that equal or precisely just payment of income would serve as stimulation for women to pursue higher education, training, and skills which represents further progression to adult education.         

Implications

            Through many efforts toward initiating a sufficient educational system the first cornerstone that led to the emergence of other subsequent acts, programs, and organizations that targeting the evolvement of adult education in the United States is Economic Opportunity Act (1964). The long dialogue about involving the federal government and founding especial programs that fulfill the needs of filling the huge gap of adult education resulted in such program, economic opportunity act, initiated by the federal government led to another and subsequent programs in purpose of increasing the quality as well as broadening the benefits of adult education programs (Rose 1991, p.3,4).

            On another perspective of the implications of the adult education process in the 1960s decade is the emergence for the needed organizations tackling the issues of adult education. As The American Association for Adult and Continuing Education (AAACE) is the most well-known organization interesting on the adult education progress in the United States and helping it in variety dimensions. This organization is a result of the efforts of other organizations dealing with the same issues. As stated in their website that “the (AAACE) was founded as the result of a merger between the National Association for Public and Continuing Adult Education (NAPCAE) and the Adult Education Association (AEA).” (The American Association for Adult and Continuing Education.com). Thus, evolvement of expertise associations was observed as result of many efforts to improve the order of adult education. This movement indicate the concern of developing adult education and highlight the recognition of the importance of lifelong education for adults.  

 

Summary Table

Section	Summary
Introduction/Social background	·         The 1960s decade is one of the most controversial decades that the United State has experienced in the modern area in which it witnessed enormous shifts in the countries in many stages. ·         Foreign factors of ending the WWII and involved in the Cold War. 1960s was the hottest in this war period. ·         The foreign factors derived economic depression and created internal challenges. ·         Unemployment, the generation called “baby boom” became adults, and enormous poverty in the U.S society.
Highlights	·         Improvement and emergence of adult education programs and acts. ·         These acts are and the vocational act (1963). ·         The economic opportunity act (1964). ·         The adult education act (1966).
Influential factors	·         Huge demands of social change. ·         Political and social movements effecting progression of adult education. ·         Civil rights act (1964). ·         Voting rights act (1965). ·         Equal pay act (1963).
Implications	·         Fulfilling economic demands of workforce or human resources. ·         The emergence of subsequent programs and organizations. ·         Recognition of the importance of lifelong education for adults.

 

Bibliography

Amy, R. (1994). Adult Education as Federal Policy: The search for literacy agenda. PAAC Journal for Lifelong Learning, 3, 4–13.

Bill, G. (2007). Farming in the 50s & 60s. https://livinghistoryfarm.org/farminginthe50s/life_01.html

Gregg, S. (2016). Crisis in Education—The Effect of the Cold War on the American Education System. Portland State University: Young Historians Conference. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1104&context=younghistorians

Harvey, G. (2015). Public Education During the Civil War and Reconstruction Era. http://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-2600

History.com Editors. (2009). Civil Rights Movement. In History. A&E Television Networks. https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/civil-rights-movement

History.com Editors. (2017). Equal Pay Act. In History. A&E Television Networks. https://www.history.com/topics/womens-rights/equal-pay-act

History.com Editors. (2020). The 1960s History. In History. A&E Television Networks. https://www.history.com/topics/1960s/1960s-history

Kantor, H. (1991). Education, Social Reform, and the State: ESEA and Federal Education Policy in the 1960s. American Journal of Education, 100(1), 47–83.

National Advisory Council on Adult Education. (1980). A History of the Adult Education Act. Pennsylvania Bldg. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED245098.pdf

Rose, A. (1991). Ends or Means: An Overview of the History of the Adult Education Act. ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult, Career, and Vocational Education Center on Education and Training for Employment. https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.627.914&rep=rep1&type=pdf

The American Association for Adult and Continuing Education. (n.d.). Who We Are. Retrieved February 19, 2022, from https://www.aaace.org/page/WhoWeAre

U.S Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. (1965). The Vocation Education Act of 1963. United States Printing Office. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED019402.pdf