Education and Development: The Issues and the Evidence

(Commonwealth Institute 1991). Psychological insight and socio-political skills may as
important as pedagogical skills in this approach.

The importance of post-literacy training has been stressed by many commentators
(International Review of Education 35(4), 1989). Examples of such programmes are
widespread, e.g. in China, India, Thailand, and these demonstrate the need for continuity and
support to sustain literacy gains (Ahmed 1989). Easton (1989) draws attention to the needs
for ensuring adequate opportunities for the application of new literacy skills. Lasway (1989)
outlines the impact of post-literacy programmes in Tanzania and reports that these
programmes have helped to increase income, improve health and nutrition practices, and have
enhanced participation in local affairs.

NGO's have had a long and active role in coordinating adult literacy activities. The
International Council for Adult Education has over 100 members from over 85 countries. The
International Task Force on Literacy (ITFL) is a new coalition of NGO's. Hall (1989) has
reviewed the activities of NGO's in Shri Lanka and Bangladesh and Rivero (1989) has
explored NGO's contributions to post literacy programmes in Latin America. NGO's can have
important advantages over official organisations in coordinating action, mobilising large
numbers of volunteers and making good use of scarce resources. They may also be linked to
popular movements which have overt or covert political agendas and they may therefore fall
under the suspicion of governments. Freire has argued that some programme goals were
compromised in Guinea-Bissau, Sao Tome and Nicaragua (Lied and Johnston 1986) as a
result. On the other hand government sponsored schemes may not capture the imagination of
the people, especially where serious commitment to improve the conditions of illiterate and
marginalised groups does not exist, and may suffer from indifference on the part of those they
attempt to help.

2.7.5 Concluding remarks.

Simple conclusions concerning literacy campaigns are difficult to reach since the experience
is so varied. From the above we can distil several observations.

First, with regard to the. sustainability of literacy interventions mass adult literacy campaigns
appear to be expensive if continued for any length of time. If they are continued it becomes
difficult to maintain political will and high levels of resource mobilisation. Campaigns, which
integrate primary education and adult literacy interventions seem more likely to include
provision for post-literacy activity and be based on bottom up rather than top down pedagogic
philosophies which make use of curriculum materials based on living skills. In these
campaigns sociopolitical and psychological training is often argued as being as important as
pedagogic training. Selective interventions have the advantage that they can be tailored more
closely to the needs of particular groups. They may benefit from the ability to demonstrate
valued outcomes more clearly than other approaches.

<<   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   >>

More intriguing information