The Influence of Gender on Literacy Education in a Rural Area of Mpumalanga Province of South Africa

Abstract

In a country such as South Africa whose democracy is relatively new, education for all citizens is of primary concern. Education in general and in particular education of those who had little or no education at all, is high on the priority list. While the government has targeted illiteracy as one of the major issues, others such as gender differentiation in the involvement of learners in adult literacy programs, make the illiteracy situation even more complex, especially in the rural areas where the traditional tenets of the communities are still observed. This study explored the role gender plays in the involvement of learners in adult literacy programs in the rural Bushbuckridge area of Mpumalanga Province, in order to determine the possible implications for literacy programs in rural South Africa. In order to achieve this aim, an interpretive design was applied and qualitative methods of data-collection were utilized. Empirical data was obtained through observations and interviews and processed and analyzed by unitizing and categorizing, resulting in the findings of the research. The results showed that gender does play a role in the involvement of learners in adult literacy programs and that there are implications involved.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n23p1090