Article described an attempt to re-evaluate the literacy movement, to encourage adult new readers to see the cause of their literacy differences as one that lies outside themselves. (Author/RK)

India's National Adult Education Program ( NAEP), which focuses on the needs of illiterate adults in the 15-35 age group, is described with particular attention given to the importance of improving occupational skills and raising the level of awareness regarding the predicament of the poor and illiterate. (LBH)

This paper draws on a recent theory-driven critical case study that uses ethnographic methods to examine data on the stated needs for literacy of adult literacy learners. It is argued that the literacy needs of adult learners are social constructions. (14 references) (LB)

Patients must be able to understand oral and written instructions and health care materials. Patients with low literacy levels need educational programs and materials designed to teach them how to manage their health needs. (SK)

A study investigated the educational levels of 196 inmates (85 percent male, most Caucasian, 5 ethnic groups represented) of the Cumberland County Jail (CCJ) in Portland, Maine, using a self-perception instrument and the results of the Tests of Applied Literacy Skills. Information was obtained regarding gender, age, recidivism, highest level of…

While college composition theory/pedagogy courses are standard offerings in composition and rhetoric graduate programs, specialized basic writing graduate courses lag behind. At the same time, there is a pressing need for highly qualified teachers of nontraditional adult students, especially in community college and adult literacy education…

Approximately 25 million adults are currently reading below the fifth-grade level, and another 35 to 40 million adults read between the fifth- and eighth-grade levels. This is particularly significant for the American press inasmuch as the average daily newspaper is written at a minimum of a ninth-grade reading level. A number of unexamined…

Describes a study of long-term unemployed adults in central Scotland who were informally interviewed to allow for more complete exploration of circumstances which prevented them from obtaining educational assistance. The difficulties of ascertaining their educational needs and the implications for adult education delivery systems are discussed.…

The author finds that Canadian progress toward lifelong learning and adult literacy has not been satisfactory, mainly due to the fragmentation inherent in provincial systems of education and to the lack of federal leadership. (SJL)

Attention has been focused on whether U.S. competitiveness in a global market can be sustained if the work force has deficient reading skills. The U.S. Department of Education estimates that 90 million adults (50 percent of the adult population) do not have the literacy skills they need to function in society. These persons have limited reading…

Persons aged 16 to 75 in 1,803 Mississippi households were interviewed over 6 months in 1990 to develop a profile of the literacy proficiencies of the adult population of the state. Results were reported in three areas of task types: prose literacy, document literacy, and quantitative literacy. Some of the findings were the following: (1)…

In every Asian country, the majority of the adult population has less than primary education. With the high rate of population increase and national development goals of industrialization and modernization of agriculture, the problem of illiteracy should be expected to become increasingly severe unless adult literacy plans are systematically…

In order for adult education to be successfully applied in other countries, it is important that an understanding of the people's traditional background and educational attitudes is acquired. A continuing educator must also be a continuing learner. In Africa, education is considered a continuing or recurrent process throughout life serving to…

Reviews and analyzes studies conducted on functional literacy among older adults. The results indicate conceptual confusion, an obviously undereducated older population, inadequate measurements, and samples with disproportionate percentages of older persons. Conclusions indicate the need for educational gerontologists to increase efforts at…