Adult education includes all activities with an educational purpose, carried on by people, in the ordinary business of life who use only part of their energy to acquire intellectual equipment. Although the concept of adult education, as distinct from literacy, is still in its infancy, there is increasing recognition of the value of such an education as an instrument of social and economic transformation. Today, most governments have initiated adult education programs covering such areas a vocational, technical, secretarial, language, hygiene, rural development and farmer training.

The scope of adult education is very comprehensive. It covers all those topics that are not touched by education in general at school. Moreover, it aims at giving a new orientation to the out-look of adults to suit the dynamic world. Adult education harmonizes differences in growth and it also provides an opportunity for growth to those who have not been able to grow properly or completely earlier.

This book narrates the status and trends of adult education in the context of global economic reforms. It will be an immensely useful reference tool for students, teachers, educational planners, policy makers, educational administrators and research scholars.