Estimates of the true extent of illiteracy among the United States's adult population vary widely. The Department of Education has estimated that there are 23 million illiterate Americans and an additional 46 million American who function only marginally in an increasingly technological society. Federal support for adult literacy began in 1965…

The author's predictions regarding possibilities for the future of continuing education focus on (1) some philosophic notes on emerging directions, (2) curriculum or programing to respond to, and to provide leadership in the light of, such an environment, and (3) organizational approaches to the end-of-the-century continuing education…

This document summarizes the proceedings of the first meeting of the Asia-Pacific Programme of Education for All (APPEAL). The report is organized in five parts that cover the following: (1) background, objectives, participants, summaries of opening speeches, and working methods of the conference; (2) review of the progress in the implementation…

This issue contains an editorial, "Empowering Women through Education" (Elizabeth Cruzada), and eight articles. "Women and Education" (Swarna Jayaweera) presents the status of women and girls' education in Asia vis-a-vis the goals set in the Nairobi Forward Looking Strategies. "Education Reforms and Development of Chinese…

This issue of the National Institute for Literacy (NIFL) News is devoted to "Equipped for the Future" (EFF), the organization's long-term collaborative initiative for system reform. The newsletter contains the testimony of people who have been involved in the process over the past 2 years, speaking of the promise they see in EFF. The…

The Federal Government has been funding state- and locally operated adult literacy programs for nearly 25 years. Unfortunately, despite the best intentions and efforts, the federal initiative in adult literacy has been minimal, inefficient, and ineffective. There has been no consistent federal policy guiding the growth of programs since 1965.…

This book, which is written and designed for intermediate adult literacy students, relates selected outcomes of 12 "woman-positive" literacy and adult basic education programs that were sponsored/studied in different parts of Canada by the Canadian Congress for Learning Opportunities for Women (CCLOW). Part 1 discusses the mission of the…

The level of basic education skills among Nevada's adult work force and the effects of workers' basic skill levels on Nevada businesses were examined in a 1994 survey of 2,021 Nevada businesses employing 10 or more workers. Of the 1,163 businesses responding, 696 reported having 1 or more unskilled employees during May 1994. Of those 696…

Research has suggested that many adults choose not to participate in available literacy programs because they equate literacy education with school. Two new directions in adult literacy program development are being explored in an effort to make programs more appealing to nonparticipants. The first is connected to program content and the second…

The problem of adult illiteracy in Canada is now accepted as socially significant, whether defined in terms of numbers, impact on the economy, or implications for the future. A reasonable estimate would be that one in five Canadian adults has a severe enough problem with reading, writing, or arithmetic that his or her functioning in society is to…

This document contains materials about and from the "History of Adult Literacy Weekend" that was held at the University of New England in Armidale, Australia. The following papers about the weekend are included: "Foreword" (Patricia Ward, Rosie Wickert); "Introduction" (Rosie Wickert); "Focus on Oral…

The experiences of Canadian women in adult basic education and literacy (ABEL) were examined in a national research project during which 2 contact women from each of 12 ABEL programs across Canada spend one-half day each week "researching" their program's "woman-positive" activities and the consequences of those activities for…

This publication is part of the study materials for the distance education course, Language and Literacies: Contexts and Challenges in the Workplace, in the Open Campus Program at Deakin University. The document traces the historical development of Australia's Workplace Basic Education Project (WBEP) model for taking literacy provision into the…

In developing a community-based adult literacy program, program planners need to consider who the program will serve, which strategies will best serve the target population of the program, and exactly how much stability and change are to be encouraged in the program. Once the planners of a community-based adult literacy program have answered these…

The National Institute for Literacy's Equipped for the Future initiative was undertaken to achieve customer-driven, standards-based reform of adult literacy and lifelong learning through a broad, national consensus-building process. The initiative's six stages are as follows: (1) build consensus on the knowledge and skills adults need to fulfill…