The director of the Queens Borough Public Library (Jamaica, New York) examines the role of the public library in helping to prevent illiteracy and discusses innovative ways libraries can serve adult readers and learners, using the Queens model as an example. Includes a sidebar by Audrey Gorman "Toward a New Definition of Literacy." (AEF)

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that oral literature, which is an aspect of the oral tradition, has functioned historically as a vital medium of moral and civic education in non-literate societies the world over. Through the ages, oral literature has performed this function by presenting its various genres as forms of entertainment…

Lack of access to basic education leads to diminished individual and national capabilities, therewith furthering cycles of poverty. An equitable education system meeting basic learning needs represents not only a human right, but also a means for reducing poverty, promoting productivity, and sustaining development. The Government of China--the…

Women have been silenced through their exclusion from the dominant discourse of il/literacy. The construction of an illiterate population has been part of an "othering" process by the state and serves to create a national ideology of illiteracy that locates the blame for educational deficiencies in the individual, rather than in the structural…

This monograph compiles the comments of several reviewers into an annotated bibliography of materials for teaching reading (levels 1-3) to adults. A literature review format is used to present these comments, as found in published speeches, articles, and other materials, which describe the history of adult basic education and literacy education as…

Attended by 121 member states of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), this conference was devoted to the discussion of two topics: "Education for all: renewed policies and strategies for the 1990s" and "The struggle against illiteracy through universal primary education and adult education:…

This report presents a global analysis of the state of education. Comprised of four chapters, the first chapter is an introduction. Chapter 2 reviews the development of education at the global level between 1970 and 1990. The chapter focuses mainly on access to and participation in the formal education system, while drawing attention to regional…

Female illiteracy and the overall educational status of women in Islamic societies are the two main themes of this collection of conference papers. The papers include: THe Eradication of Female Illiteracy in Kirghizia: the Historical Situation (1920-1930) (I. S. Boldzhurova); Women's Education in Kirghiszstan (R. Achylova); Literacy and Education…

This annual report describes the programs and staff for 1993 of Grassroots Educare Trust, an organization that helps South African communities provide preschool education and health care. Contents of the report are: (1) a list of the board of trustees; (2) a message from the chairman; (3) the director's report on external efforts and internal…

The importance of considering social contexts--workplace, family, and community networks--in devising adult literacy programs has emerged over the past decade as the clear consensus of adult literacy research. Equally important have been the attempts by field researchers and federal policymakers to use these findings in setting up demonstration…

This paper reviews results of a questionnaire distributed to literacy workers in rural Alberta (Canada) to ascertain their views on rural literacy. The questionnaire was designed to identify: (1) distinctive features of the issue of adult illiteracy in rural areas; (2) the strengths of literacy efforts in rural Alberta; (3) the weaknesses of…

This study developed a prototype occupational interest inventory for academically disadvantaged/functionally illiterate adults. The reliability and validity of the prototype were determined by comparing the results with those of a standardized commercially-available occupational interest inventory. A counterbalance design was employed with 30…

This report documenting the speeches and recommendations made during a conference on library and information services begins with three presentations: (1) "Preparing for Partnerships: Libraries and Educational Reform in Tennessee" (Secretary of State Bryant Millsaps); (2) "The Tennessee Governor's Conference on Library and…

This paper describes the U.S. experience in providing vocational training to the low-literate. Chapter I presents an overview of the problem. It discusses the changing nature of work, the workplace, the worker, and vocational training itself. Chapter II describes the U.S. experience in the training of low-literates. The approaches, methods, and…