Evaluations of the Botswana National Literacy Program (BNLP) are reviewed, with emphasis on one internal and one external evaluation. The BNLP may be one of the most extensively evaluated national literacy programs ever conducted, with a program staff intensively trained in evaluation. One lesson of the repeated evaluations of the BNLP is that a…

This paper reviews the promotion of literacy and the development of library services in the multinational, multilingual republics of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics since the October Revolution as a model for state or regionally centralized services that promote local arrangements while serving a single national purpose in multiethnic and…

Given its being at the eastern boundaries of Igbo land in Nigeria, Ohuhu clan was among the last areas to be conquered by British imperialists. It was also among the last areas in Igbo land to have the impact of white missionaries. Thus, in terms of modern education, commerce, industry, and civil service administrations as dictated by the colonial…

To determine the consumption benefits of education, this report details a study that explored the cost placed on items or services associated with basic literacy in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The first section both explains why consumer prices for books, newspapers, and postage are valid indicators of the consumption benefits of…

There is now consensus among educators in Papua New Guinea that literacy efforts must be strengthened through closer bonding of literacy with information-that-matters. Papua New Guinea's Cabinet has recently endorsed a National Literacy and Awareness Program linking literacy projects with public awareness campaigns, hoping to increase support for…

Education is a national concern in Zimbabwe because prior to independence in 1980, Africans were formally and informally prevented from sharing in the educational opportunities that were available to Whites. Zimbabwe is a young country that has made great strides since independence. They have touched large numbers of people with beginning…

Papua New Guinea has made tremendous progress by officially recognizing the value of vernacular languages as a resource in the sociocultural, economic, and political development of the country. Many of the strategies of implementation reflect the peculiarities identified with the current momentum in literacy. The strong lower level involvement in…

African nations can only hope to make drastic changes in their societies through education of their young and, just as importantly, by providing library services through extension programs to those adults, however non literate, that comprise the producers and decision makers in the present social structure. These people need functional information…

The National Language and Literature Development Agency (Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka) in Malaysia promotes literacy and reading through publishing, book promotion, book distribution, extension programs, writing incentives, and maintenance of a special library. The article signals a need for the understanding of reasons why interest in reading has not…

The Oceania Literacy Development Program is conducted by the International Reading Association's International Development in Oceania Committee in conjunction with the Australian and New Zealand Reading Associations. The program was designed around three distinct but interdependent roles for the groups involved. First, direction is provided by key…

This paper begins by telling the story of Edward, a preacher/teacher in Tanzania who, although poor and uneducated himself, managed to teach his parishioners how to read. The paper describes the experience of one man and his wife who spent 4 years at Katoke Teachers College in northwest Tanzania during the early 1970s, after which they returned to…

The final report of the International Symposium for Literacy, which met in Persepolis, Iran, from September 3-8, 1975, is presented. Participating were 75 individuals from around the world, including representatives from China, Vietnam, and North Korea. Chapter 1 discusses the symposium's origin and sponsoring committee activities while chapter 2,…

This document reviews progress in the nine high-populations countries towards the goal of Education for All (EFA). The nine countries are Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria, and Pakistan. Since the Thailand conference in 1990, most countries have shown improvement with primary education increasing by over 40…

Opening remarks by Hans-Peter Geh, President of the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA), address the meeting theme, "New Horizons of Librarianship towards the 21st Century," with emphasis on the need for international cooperation as technology advances and libraries expand to become large information centers. Remarks…

There is growing evidence supporting the powerful role that maternal education plays in child growth and cognitive development in developing countries. This study examined the contribution of maternal literacy in mediating the relationship between maternal education and variation in child outcomes from birth to 7 years of age. It was hypothesized…