ABSTRACT
In the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights, education is specified as a right, but it will be recognised from the earlier chapters that since the state must control, the concept of rights becomes problematic. Are there rights, for instance, that are over and above the power of the state? Are there different forms of rights? Questions like this demand discussion. Consequently, the first part of this chapter explores the concept of rights, and it is later argued that adult education might be viewed as a right of citizenship. However, citizenship rights are not automatic, but part of the struggle between rulers and ruled that constitutes the normal social process. It will be argued here that these rights are disbursed by the state at specific times in history, especially when the elite need the support of the people, and three case studies will be employed to illustrate this point. At other times, however, the state seeks to claw them back. The chapter concludes with a brief discussion on the Bill of Rights for the Adult Learner which was developed by the
Board of Directors of Adult Education Organizations in the United States in 1991.
