Learning to read and write is a fundamental right. Yet official figures by the National Bureau of Statistics indicate that 38% of African adults are illiterate. This study ascertained the level of literacy of Igbo-Ora community and the effects on community development. Mixed methods of survey were applied. A questionnaire of 32 items was used to…

Mission statements of universities in developing countries usually include serving the surrounding communities. Often this service does not reach beyond lip service. This article puts into context the experience of developing an adult education research program responding to the needs of the surrounding community in a historically disadvantaged…

This compilation offers global examples of innovative and promising literacy and numeracy programmes that link the teaching and learning of literacy to sustainable development challenges such as health, social equality, economic empowerment and environmental sustainability. This publication is a timely contribution to the 2030 Agenda for…

In March 2006, Premier Wen Jiabao acknowledged that the situation in the Chinese countryside is desperate and claimed new resources would be devoted to healthcare and education. This announcement should have pleased architects of the Chinese "learning initiative" who are building learning cities and villages. The authors describe why…

The Village Development Project, in operation in Nepal from 1952 until 1959, was less than successful in its total effect because of competition between U.S. and Indian foreign aid programs and the unfamiliarity of village development workers with rural life. (MF)

Describes a functional literacy program successfully carried out in a very remote district in the mountains of Nepal. Describes the program's successes in increasing literacy, self-confidence, community awareness, and social awareness among Nepali women. Discusses keys to this success. (SR)

A private agency, Flanner House of Indianapolis, combined efforts with the Federal government, the Indiana State Employment Service, and private industry to provide upward job mobility for undereducated individuals who are either unemployed or underemployed. The project was designed to show that: (1) Private industry is willing to finance an…

The motivation/immersion model of literacy centers on the individual and isolates literacy from context. A community development approach regards literacy as a function of social structure; based on this model, literacy education programs are respectful of the culture and idiom of the community. (SK)

The adult basic education program of the University of Natal (South Africa), in conjunction with a rural development agency, is intended to train literacy teachers and develop English-as-a-Second-Language teaching materials. One implication was that what may have worked at the village level needs reconceptualization for large-scale adaptation. (SK)

One of the Millennium Development Goals declared by the United Nations in 2000 was to reduce by half the population of people living in extreme poverty, by 2015. Adult education can and should contribute significantly to this development goal. Nevertheless it has hardly been explored so far in the national Poverty Reduction Strategies Papers. In…

Two types of programs are currently targeted specifically toward adult Aboriginal people in Australia: (1) compensatory programs that are designed to compensate for lapses and defects in the education they have received in the regular educational system; and (2) support programs based on provision of academic support, personal support, and an…

This booklet presents a discussion that focuses on the relationship between adult literacy and the economic development of a community. The principal characteristics of the currents that have had most influence in Latin American during the last decade are described, and a new alternative for community development education is presented. This…

Training, in the article's context, is used to describe programs of preparation and orientation of project personnel and community leaders. Teachers, supervisors, forum leaders, regional and national staffs, and international experts all need training in literacy projects. Some guidelines for a training design include a discussion of six items:…

The final evaluation of a literacy and health education development project of the Summer Institute of Linguistics and the Translators Association of the Philippines (TAP) is presented. The project targeted seven cultural communities totaling 200,000 on the island of Mindanao, for whom literacy rates ranged from 1-5%. The health component trained…

This report contains a summary and six papers from a symposium to examine and define citizenship education for adults and to consider the curriculum implications for adult basic education, English as a second language, and adult special education. The summary report gives an overview of symposium activities and discussions, with particular…