Johannesburg — THE Adult Learning Network this week accused education authorities of neglecting adult education and training, despite education's allocation of R69-billion being the biggest slice of the Budget.

The co-ordinator of the non-governmental organisation, Farrell Hunter, said the network would consider legal action if the government did not spend more on adult education and literacy.

In a November report, the Department of Education said that spending on adult basic education and training amounted to 2% of last year' s R62.8-billion education budget.

This figure, said the department, was "low in comparison with other sectors" but it added that "projected spending was expected to increase from R454-million to R1.2-billion by 2004".

Although the explicit budget for adult education last year was R454-million, funds from other education allocations meant that some R1.25-billion was actually spent on adult education.

Duncan Hindle, a deputy Director-General in the Department of Education, said literacy had increased from 85% to 93% recorded last year. "The figure is shifting up," he said.

The Adult Learning Network last week sent letters to all nine provincial education MECs, asking them to supply details of their adult education plans. - Cornia Pretorius