Introduction
The term 'Adult' is understood from the term itself. But there is difference of opinion among people regarding the starting age and ending of adult life. The Sargent Report states that anyone between age group 10-35 is an adult. Monganial Saxena Committee put it between 12 to 45 years. But the government of India in 1977 launched a massive campaign to eradicate illiteracy among adults within a stipulated time of 6 years. To carry out the gigantic work, the National Adult Education Programme (NAEP) was started. It chalked out plans and programmes to educate the adults of the age group 15-35.These period is the most meaningful stage in one's life when one can contribute maximum for the development of the nation.
According to Liveright and Haygood “Adult education is the process whereby persons who no longer (or did not) attend school on a regular and full time basis undertake sequential and organised activities within a conscious intention of bringing about changes in information, knowledge, understanding or skills, appreciation and attitudes or for the purpose of identifying and solving personal or community problems”.
UNESCO (1974) defined the concept as, “The term adult education denotes the entire body of organised educational processes, whatever content, level and method whether formal or otherwise, whether they prolong or replace initial education in schools, colleges and universities as well as in apprenticeship, whereby persons regarded as adults by the society to which they belong develop their abilities, enrich their knowledge, improve their technical or professional qualifications and bring about changes in their attitude or behaviour in the two fold perspective of full personal development and participation in balance and independent social, economic and cultural development.”
Adult education is a type of delayed instruction which an adult should have received during his early years. Adult