In presenting the work of participants before and during the Symposium, the report begins with an introduction giving an overall view of concepts, projects, and problems of functional literacy with reference to other sections of the report. The keynote lecture deals with functional literacy in the context of adult education--results and innovative…

The Brazilian Literacy Movement (MOBRAL-El Movimento Brasileno de Alfabetizacion de Adultos) is discussed in terms of its legal and conceptual bases, organization, participants, technical aspects, and effectiveness. Established by law December 15, 1967 to lower the illiteracy rate in Brazil by improving educational opportunities for the…

This study outlines some of the literacy problems of immigrants to Canada and the attempts being made to overcome these problems. The study first examines some of the popular definitions of literacy with a view to finding one that might be a goal for all illiterates in Canada regardless of their birthplace. Next, the latest data are analyzed to…

The rural work force has lower basic skills to supply labor for new jobs with higher literacy demands. At all levels of education the rural population is at a disadvantage compared with the urban population. One out of five rural adults in Pennsylvania has not continued education past the eighth grade. Among the costs to businesses from employee…

This document reports the results of a study of literacy in Canada conducted for the Southam News in 1987. During the study, 2,398 Canadians were surveyed to determine the levels of literacy they possessed and how they coped in society if they were illiterate. The research methodology is based on an assessment of literacy conducted in 1985 by the…

The study is a description of the activities undertaken within the framework of the work-oriented adult literacy pilot project in Iran, an evaluation of its first measurable results, and an examination of the problems of functional literacy in the light of the Iranian experiment. The first chapter traces the efforts of the Iranian authorities over…

This booklet contains 29 articles about literacy that originally appeared in newspapers across Canada during September 1987. Many are based on the extensive findings of a national literacy survey of 2,398 Canadian adults commissioned by Southam Inc. The survey provided the first real statistics about the state of literacy in the country;…

A mail survey of the directors of Texas adult education cooperatives conducted in 1989 was intended to describe adult education programs in the state to aid in the planning and development of teacher training materials. Forty-two of the 63 directors completed all or part of the survey questionnaire. Among the results were the following: (1) 70…

The technical report of the Pilot Evaluation Study of Functional Literacy Project in Lucknow District, Uttar Pradesh, India presents the research procedures and statistical analysis for the previously published non-technical report of the study. The main study objectives were to obtain qualitative and quantitative measurements of attainment and…

Most industrialized nations of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) have entered a new economic era characterized by new industries, new forms of production and competition, and a much higher premium on skills. Those with low levels of literacy and basic workplace skills find it increasingly difficult to obtain or…

A demographic and educational profile was constructed of learners enrolled in California employment training programs. Summary data were derived from 47,318 Employability Competency System (ECS) Appraisal answer sheets received by the Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment System (CASAS) office from 1987 through 1990. ECS provides reading, math,…

In accordance with the national aims for adult literacy programs, an Adult Performance Level (APL) project was devised whose primary goal was to produce sequential tests of APL objectives derived from the requirements of adult living in four major areas: reading, writing, computation, and general knowledge. To document these abilities and skills…

The first year report summarizes the activities of Project ERA (Enrollment, Retention, and Advancement), an adult basic education demonstration project in the Providence Model Cities area. The program was committed to demonstrate an effective and imaginative effort in the Model Cities area for recruiting and instructing hard-core functionally…

The issue of adult and continuing education in New Jersey has been examined as part of a Federal project (Project Next Step: Mutuality of Planning). National role, trends, and problems of adult and continuing education are summarized briefly in the first section while the next section includes a summary of the adult education programs in New…

The 1-year project reported here was undertaken for World Literacy of Canada to survey the nature and extent of functional illiteracy in Canada, with a focus on those activities currently being undertaken in Anglophone Canada. An introduction provides background on the extent of the problem, comparing 1961 and 1971 Census statistics, and defines…