We hope you didn’t miss the news that Gov. Christine Gregoire officially proclaimed the first week of November as Adult Literacy Week in Washington.
You may not be aware that we are approaching the 40th anniversary of the creation of the national Adult Basic Education program. It’s a small, effective program that has made a big difference in a lot of people’s lives. Recently Gov. Gregoire stopped by Everett Community College to talk with some of those people.
Congress passed the Adult Education Act in the mid 1960s as part of the “War on Poverty.” Until then, the large number of adults who had to leave school early to support their families during the Great Depression, to fight in World War II, or who were denied an education because of the color of their skin, had nowhere to go to finish their education. In Washington, Adult Basic Education classes were started by community and technical colleges across the state. Classes were held during the day in church basements and in the evening in public school buildings. For the first time, thousands of adults had a place to go to learn to read or earn their GED.
Forty years later, even though supposedly no child is being left behind in our public education system, enrollment in adult education programs is at its highest level ever. Among the chief reasons for this is that Washington has the third highest rate of immigrant and refugee resettlement in the nation and we are experiencing a nearly 30 percent dropout rate from our high schools. Since these two populations form the backbone of the Pacific Northwest labor market, it is imperative that they have the basic skills they need to be self sufficient and to contribute to our economy.
These days, basic skills go far beyond reading, writing and basic math. In addition, we expect our citizens and the members of our workforce to be able to think critically, have good interpersonal skills, use good judgment, contribute to their communities, be ethical, and know how to use personal computers to write a report or get information from the Internet. These are the skills that Adult Basic Education programs across the state are teaching.
However, just having these skills or even earning a GED certificate is only the first step toward economic self-sufficiency. Without having technical skills, our students are doomed to remain a part of this nation’s working poor. Increasingly, our community and technical colleges are integrating basic skills and job training in the same programs. In the past five years, Everett Community College, in partnership with Refugee and Immigrant Services Northwest, and the Department of Social and Health Services, has trained more than 500 low-income parents or refugees for family-wage jobs.
One of those students was Peter Garang. He was one of the “Lost Boys of Sudan,” among an estimated 20,000 children separated from their families and left to fend for themselves during Sudan’s 21-year civil war. He came to the United States four years ago and dreamed of entering the medical field so he could give back to his new community. After enrolling in an integrated English as a second language and nursing assistant training program at Everett Community College, he is now working at Providence Everett Medical Center.
In today’s economy, better skills equal better jobs. But there is an equally important, although less tangible, outcome for our students. Every student who met with the governor recently reported that their self-esteem and confidence in their abilities had increased as a result of attending Adult Basic Education classes. At Everett Community College, teaching basic skills and preparing students for work is a vital part of our mission. We thank Gov. Gregoire for her recognition of the essential service we provide to those most in need in our region.
Bill Sperling is the Dean of Everett Community College’s Learning Services Division.
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