Contributions of Alternative (Nonformal) Education in Developing Countries

An analysis of two alternative (nonformal) rural education projects provides data on Rural Craft Training Centers (RCTC's) in Kenya and the Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement (SSM) in Sri Lanka. The RCTC objective is to design pilot rural development strategies for expanding income in selected poor; the SSM objective is to build a "righteous society" based on equality, common ownership of the means of production, freedom from exploitation, and people's power. Other project attributes discussed include program size (68 RCTC's in 1978; 2,000 SSM villages in 1977), funding sources (RCTC funds are raised locally; local contributions and foreign philanthropic organizations support the SSM), and curriculum (both projects respond to local needs). A comparison of the projects shows that while both were founded to help the rural poor, RCTC's were begun by foreigners and are both capitalistic and decentralized. The SSM, however, is much larger in size and budget. It is voluntary, socialistic, moralistic, spiritualistic, and was founded by people indigenous to Sri Lanka. Five tables provide data on educational opportunity in Kenya, government-approved RCTC's, subjects taught in RCTC's and the SSM, and the SSM budget (1977-78). (PB)