Adult Basic Education and Training in South Africa: The Perspectives of Rural Women, in Khotso

The aim of the study was to understand the perspectives of rural women in Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET), in Khotso. Rural women in the area lag behind in knowledge and skills for livelihood. The aim of ABET was to provide the educationally disadvantaged individuals, especially rural women, with knowledge and skills for livelihood in the countryside. Despite this initiative, rural women still lack skills for better living. Without basic education, these rural folks can be condemned to perpetual poverty and desolate. A qualitative research method in the form of a case study was designed to understand the issues from the point of view of the participants in context-specific settings. This qualitative design gives the authors, in-depth understanding of the phenomenon under study. A sample of sixteen women participants was purposively selected from four ABET centres. This sampling method was used to help the researchers focused on the real life situations of participants in their natural environment which delved better into their experiences. Data were collected through individual and focus group interviews. The two sets of interviews were audio recorded with the permission from the participants. Content analysis techniques were used to analyse data. The findings indicated that rural women were left desolate due to some obsolete cultural practices and perceptions. Based on the findings the paper recommends that ABET programmes should be revamped to make them more effective in terms of skills training to improve the lives of the participants.