Eradication Of Illiteracy Research Articles

‘The Eradication of Illiteracy’—a permanent exhibition in Alma‐Ata

(1990). ‘The Eradication of Illiteracy’—a permanent exhibition in Alma‐Ata. Museum International: Vol. 42, No. 1, pp. 19-21.

World Literacy Prospects at the Turn of the Century: Is the Objective of Literacy for All by the Year 2000 Statistically Plausible?

The role of literacy as a fundamental human right and as a necessary prerequisite for social and economic development is currently acknowledged without restriction. It is generally accepted that literacy is a necessary condition for access to modernization process and, still more, to advanced technology-even if it is not sufficient in itself. Thus, countries raising their technological levels previously took required steps to universalize basic education and adult literacy so as to raise productivity levels by parallel increases in manpower and capital formation. But, important as above reasoning might appear, it falls short of explaining real benefit for individual, citizen, and, therefore, for society in becoming literate. Perhaps best interpretation of literacy is the liberation of a mind from bondage of dependence.' In any case, literacy is a major social concern and clearly a prerequisite to people's participation in public life, in implementing social policies (health, nutrition, family planning, etc.), and, as such, is a unique measure for development. The present article, based on provisional statistical data, attempts to summarize preliminary results of current research work in Unesco's Office of Statistics, with a view to assessing major trends in literacy (the impact of education in its broadest sense, i.e., not only of schooling, in eradication of illiteracy) and their implications in terms of projected literacy levels. In so doing, several points must be underlined. First, it is necessary to note that official statistics in field of literacy are generally based on data from censuses or surveys in which self-evaluation is method of measuring literacy levels. There is, no doubt, a high risk for large margins of error in assessment, leading us to underestimate magnitude of illiteracy. The only way to check reliability of data would be a postenumeration test given to a sample of adults declaring themselves literates at moment of census or survey. The test is foreseen

Issues in post-literacy

While school enrolments have been rising, the absolute number of illiterates in the world has grown too. Eradication of adult illiteracy and universalization of primary education are hindered by high drop-out in schools and relapse into illiteracy among adults. Post-literacy programmes seek to stop this reversal by ensuring retention, application and continuation of literacy skills. The Unesco Institute for Education (UIE) has been researching and promoting post-literacy strategies since 1980, but finds that most projects do not include provision for post-literacy from the outset, despite the evident need. Those programmes which have been mounted use a variety of strategies, which UIE has analysed in 12 categories. The exact delimitation of the post-literacy stage in the lifelong education continuum differs from project to project, and the emphasis on individual or societal advance depends on local perceptions of the goals of development. Examples are given of successful programmes, and the challenges of increasing participation and motivation, securing adequate funding, and making efficient and flexible use of institutional facilities are discussed.

Madagascar: Développement Des Bibliothèques

The eradication of illiteracy and the promotion of reading received low priority in Madagascar during the colonial and, neo-colonial periods. In 1973, a Libraries Department was created within the Ministry of Revolutionary Culture and Art. Since 1978, fifty-five public libraries have been created in provincial prefectures. Others have been set up in sub-prefectures and cantons. The National Library moved into a new building in 1982 and also serves as the public library for the capital, Antananarivo. (In French)

Political economy of investment in education in South Asia

This paper aims at explaining the patterns of public investment in education and its intrasectoral distribution by its levels in the South Asian countries. First an index of human capital development is constructed which highlights the wide inequalities in educational development between the countries of the region. Public investment in education, which is used as the weight in constructing the index, has been the focus of attention in the remainder of the paper. It has been found that inadequate investment in education is one of the important reasons for failures in realising educational objectives like universalisation of elementary education and eradication of illiteracy. It is also found that it is wrong to say that less investment is made in education by some countries because they are economically poor or less developed. As is shown here, investment in education is not determined by the level of economic development, nor is it determined by the achievements (and correspondingly the tasks ahead) of the educational sector, as reflected by the enrolment ratios and the literacy rates. Further, public investment in any given level of education is also not determined by enrolment ratios in the corresponding levels. It is also shown here that there is a severe misallocation of resources between the different levels of education and an attempt is made to explain the underinvestment and the misallocation of resources in education in the region.

Literacy campaigns in developing countries

Developing countries have the greater number of illiterates in the modern world. While industrialised countries harbour about 15% illiterate adults, the figure in developing countries averages about 70%. Faced with this high rate of illiteracy governments and social organizations in developing countries devote a great part of their revenue and energy to the problem of eradication of illiteracy, which is regarded as a spoke in the wheel of progress. But in spite of all these efforts the returns have not been too encouraging because many factors still hinder progress. These include traditional religious habits and the problem of language in multilingual societies where foreign languages still serve as media of instruction. Difficult as the problems seem to be, developing countries still place very high premiums on their human resources. They believe that with mass literacy the contributions from their populations would enhance social and economic progress.

Nationalizing Education in Pakistan: Teachers' Associations and the People's Party

JN THE WAKE of Pakistan's dismemberment in December I97I, ZulfiIqar Ali Bhutto, chairman of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), was called to head the martial law administration, restore confidence, and lead the injured nation back to civilian and parliamentary rule. With a mandate for his party in the I970 election, Bhutto drove the Islamabad administration feverishly to prepare sweeping policy reforms designed to appeal to the lower and middle classes and to consolidate a popular base. Among the first such measures was the new Education Policy, announced by Bhutto (then President) on March I2, I972.' The education proposals were nationalist in content, developmental in design and radical in spirit. Infused with ambitious egalitarian rhetoric, they promised to bring about a wholesale restructuring of values, local participation in educational affairs, equal access to education, and eradication of illiteracy. However laudable, these objectives were more visionary than realistic under Pakistan's social and economic conditions. But there was one practical measure-that of nationalizing private educational institutions-that could be enacted promptly so as to convey the resolve of the new government to use

Adult Education and Illiteracy Eradication in Kuwait

The following is a brief report, published in 1982 on Adult Education and Illiteracy Eradication in Kuwait during the years 1967-1980.

Bahrain: Eradication of the Illiteracy by the Year 2000

Bahrain: Eradication of the Illiteracy by the Year 2000

General Assembly

Report of the Committee on Information from Non-Self-Governing Territories: The tenth session of the Committee on Information from Non-Self-Governing Territories was held in New York from April 20 through May 19, 1959. At this session the committee gave special attention to educational conditions in the non-self-governing territories, using as a guide the special studies prepared by the Secretariat and certain specialized agencies which it had before it. The studies by the Secretariat included papers on the participation of the inhabitants in the development of education and on secondary and higher education, while those prepared by the specialized agencies included reports on fundamental education, the eradication of illiteracy, free and compulsory primary education, recent developments in technical and vocational training, agricultural education and extension services, and the education and training of medical and health personnel. Statements in the general debate on this item, discussed at the 188th to 196th meetings inclusive, were made by the representatives of Australia, Brazil, Ceylon, the Dominican Republic, Ghana, Guatemala, India, Iraq, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Pending Federal Legislation

There are upwards of eighty educational bills now before Congress. Many of these are insignificant either because of their content or because they have no chance of passing. Twenty or more are extremely important because they embody large issues of national policy. I should be surprised if more than three of the total number passed the present Congress. Three, I think, may pass. Several of the others may be enacted in the near future unless the educational interests oppose them or offer substitutes. The three I have in mind are the Wadsworth Army Reorganization Bill carrying the provision for universal military training, the KenyonVestal Bill for Americanization and the eradication of illiteracy, and the Fess Bill for the rehabilitation of industrial cripples. If my forecast is correct, it is worth while to ask you to consider these.