On the eve of CONFINTEA VI, discussion and debates on promoting literacy is being revived. However, in most cases, the discussion limits itself to the definitional nuances of literacy and falls short of critiquing the global policy making inertia that violates the human rights obligations to the millions of adults remaining illiterate. This…

As a comment on the paper "Adult Literacy" presented by Cecilia Soriano during the ICAE Virtual Seminar in Preparation for CONFINTEA VI, that took place from April 21st to May 09th, this paper recaptures the debate of the programmes to teach literacy to adults with characteristics of campaign; it talks about a new type of exclusion that…

There are no official data, but it is estimated that four million adults in Germany have little or no reading, writing and numeracy skills, so that they are known as "functionally illiterate". This is a fact which was long ignored. In this contribution, literacy activities and research in Germany are analysed through a human rights-based…

The note discusses some key issues pertaining to gender, literacy and women's empowerment in India. It uses disaggregated data to illustrate the persisting gender disparities with regard to literacy and points out that despite this there is a lack of real political will to address issues of adult literacy. It further draws on data from the…

This author, director of AONTAS (National Association of Adult Education, Dublin, Ireland), presents this paper in three sections. First, she describes briefly the context in which those people who are involved in adult education are working and some of the changes that have affected the development of the adult education service in the Republic…

Beyond 3Rs to learning within political action to functional literacy to life skills, the discourse on adult literacy has primarily been defined by civil society organizations. This article presents thoughts on adult literacy programs coming from educators and advocates and the underlying dilemmas of autonomy and collaboration with government for…

The 2008 EFA Global Monitoring Report recognises adult literacy as the most neglected of the EFA goals. It is neglected most obviously in respect of the financial allocations made by governments and donors. This shortage of financing creates a dangerous situation in which adult educators seek to convince politicians to invest, based on false…

It may be good to remind ourselves that ICAE was created in 1973 as an international non-governmental organisation in the context of CONFINTEA III which was held in Tokyo in 1972. Ever since it has grown as a global network. The ICAE Executive took the initiative to start a process to prepare for CONFINTEA VI in Brazil via a virtual seminar to…

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…

Takes a critical look at the "new literacy studies." Describes an experimental workshop on Training for Organization, a Brazilian method focused on the relationship between literacy and power. (SK)

A review of recent UNESCO statistics on world illiteracy, current strategies in literacy work, the author's ideas on eclectic integrated strategy versus a single policy for functional literacy, and suggestions for possible Commonwealth action are covered in this paper which was presented to a Commonwealth adult education seminar. (EA)

It has long been orthodoxy among adult educators that those who teach adults need to take into account the existing knowledge, practices, perceptions and expectations of the learners. This is true at both central level where curricula and teaching-learning materials are developed and at local level where adult teacher/facilitator meets adult…

There are nearly one billion adults who cannot read and write, according to UNESCO statistics. Most of these are people living in extreme poverty, almost two-thirds are women, and nearly one in five is a young person aged between 15 and 24. The Global Campaign for Education (GCE) believes that there are five compelling practical reasons for…

The six EFA goals help to shape policies and priorities especially in developing countries; they can be seen as discrete targets or as a cohesive collection of complimentary developmental areas to improve learning for people of all ages and stages. The paper argues that the cohesion, success and impact of the EFA would be improved enormously if…

Illiteracy in Ireland has complex social, economic, educational, and political causes. Many areas of the country still have inadequate literacy programs, with too great reliance on volunteers. Adult literacy work is often performed in isolation from other adult education activities. (SK)