Proceedings of the International Literacy Day Conference Refledt the Often-Diverging Views of Its Seventeen Major Speakers

Home , Functional illiteracy, Joan Ganz Cooney, Mildred Robbins Leet

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ED 179 925 CS 0O5149 cr. AUTHORe; Diamond, Stuart: Ed. 'TITLE Proceedings ofthe International Lite.racy Day Conference, (Washington, D.C., Septeiober 8, 1 INaTITATION patiOnal--:Endowment fOr the Bumanitiesl(NFAH) Washington, D.C. PUB DATE 8 Sep 78 NOTE 68p.

EDRS PRICE $F01/PC03 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS kAdulCLiteracy: Elementary Secondary Education; *Foreign Countries: Functional Illiteracy: *Functional 'Peadin \*Illiterate Adults; *Literacy

ABSTRA T This,report -cottainskt the proceedings cf the International Literacy Day Cdnference held in Washington, D.C.4, on September 8,1978. It contains a program of conference events, an executive summary, a message from the vice president of the United Statese and the text of the proceedings. The proceedingsinclude intrpductory r41narks.bv Tdwin liewman:A keynote address by Commissioner of Education Ernest Q,. Boyer: the presentation ofawards to Welthy Honsinger Fisher,', founder of Litera.cy House, India,an4 to Joan Ganz Cooney, president of the Children'sTelevision Workshop: and remarks made by m'embers of panels on nati'onal andinternational literacy. Some of the ten pa'rticipants on the panel were Re'verend Jesse Jackson, president of Operation PUSH: Mrs.r_Rotert,-McNamarat dhair of Reading is` Fundamental: borothy Strickland, president of the ,International Reading.Association: and Atlilu.Habte, director of the edsucation department,'The World Bank. WM)

*************************************************************** . . * Reproauctions supplied by EDPS are the best that can bemade * * from the original document. *

, *********************O************************************************ U.S. 'DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. EDUCATION &WELFARE NATIONAL T-NSTITLPTE OF EDUCATION THIS DOCUMENT HAS SEEN RE'PRO. DUCED EXACTLY At RECEIVED FROM THE PERSON OR ORGANIZAMN ORIGIN- ATINC, IT POIN.TS OF VIEW OR OPINIONS. STATED DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRE- SENT OFFICIAL NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION POSITION OR POLICY OCEENNGSOF THE INTERNATIONAL. LITERACY DAY C SNFERENCE

WASHINGTON, D.C. SEVIMPER 8, 1978

'rC) cj . in-every child who.is born, under no matter what circumstances, and of no*.matter what parents, the potentiality of the man race is born again: and in him, too, once more, and of each of us, ourterrific, responsibility towards human life; towards the utmost idea of goodness, of the hotror 4. of.error, and.of God.( Every breath his sehses hall draw, every act and every shadow and thing in all. creation, is a mortal poison, or is' a drug, , or is a signal or symptom, or is a teacher, . or is aliberator; or is liberty itself, depend- ing entirely upon his understanding: and understandingand action proceeding from understanding and guided by it, is the one weapon againSt the world's bombardrrient, the one medicine, the orie'instrument by which liberty, health, and joy may:be shaped or shaPed toward, in the individ,ual,

and in the race. , James Agee, f.,it-Us Now Prsiise Famous - Men , Int'ernational Literacy Day, 1978

By the fresident of the United States qf America A Proclamation- Throughout our history,"the United states has. stood ,for the protection and promotion of hilman rights for all peoples. Central to these concerns are the political, social, and economic rights of all human beings. Our dedication to these rights stems from the belief that all peOple should be.allOwed.to live .t.heir lives to the fullest of their capabilities, that the talent and character given each person by God should nOt be wasted, ,Education is one of the most important gifts our society can give to its people in' helping them fulfill their human pOtential. Especially; in our modern world, adequate communication skills are.essentiM. EduOtion and training to promote literacy are central to our efforts to improve the lives of all people, 3and guarantee their basic human rights; Every illiterate adult, is anindictmcm of us all. In our own nation, and in nations across the world, significant efforts have been made -to advance literacy, and bring its' t)enefits to every man and woman, Our concern and dedication to this cause have brought results, but there still remains. great -progress to be made. Around the world, eight hundred million people lack effective reading or writing kills. . For the past 12 years, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, ,and Cultural Organization has. set aside September 8 as Literacy Day, The United States has always joined with other nations in recognizing the need, to advance literacy among peo0 e everywhere, to promote our cherished human rights. NOW, THEREF RE, I, JIMMY CARTER, President 'of the United States of America, do herebY proclaim September 8, 1978, as International Literacy Day, and I call upon the people of the United States to assess and strengthen our commitment to eliminating illiteracy both at home and abroad, recognizing that in so doing we are helping people everywhere open a gateway to many other human rights as well. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-first day of August, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred seventy-eight, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and third,

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* NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES WASHINGTON, to.. 20506 as.

THE CHAIRMAN

The Honorable Jimmy E. Carter President of the United States The White House Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear Mr. President:

As Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities and on 'behalf of the individuals and-agencies contributing to the'International Literacy Day Conference, I respectfully submit to you the pn.oceedings pf this Conference.'Following your Proclamation of September 8, 1978 as International Literacy Day, we have published the findings of the Conference as a first step in giving clarity and a sense of purpose to efforts to eradicate illiteracy, bpth in this country and throughout the world.

By publishing these findings, we hope to stimulate, educational institutipns and.agencies at all levels to evaluate their pfOgrams in basic skills education, and improve Iheir capacities to teach the fundamentals of human learning to all people. Those of us who participeted/ -in the conference are hopeful that these proceedings will aid you in evaluating our,national progress toward the goal of universal literacy. v Respectfully yours,

JOseph Duffey Chairman 4,0 Contents

Preface...... , a .1 ik a ...... a +1...... 8 introduction J 9

Program of Conference Events-...... II

Executive Summary 13

Vice Presidential Message 15

Text of the Proceedings...... _ ...... 17

Introductory Remarks, Mr. EdWin Newman

Keynote Acklress, CoMmissioner Ernest Boyer...... 19

Presentation of the Inte tional Award 24

Presentation of the National Award...... 25

National Panel...... _ ...... 27

International Panel.:...... t ...... t aa4.1. 42

Closing Remarks, Dr. Joseph Duffey ...... 56

Appendix 61

Message of the UNESCO Secretary-General 61

Message, of he Secretary of Health, Education & Welfare 62

Sponsors, Staff, and Participants 63 Preface

The International Literacy Day Conference marked the6fficial UTifited States observance of International' Literacy Day, Sepiember 8,1978. The Conference was initiated by the Office of Dr.Peter G. Bourne, Special Assistant to the Presidentfor Health Issues, under the planning direction of Mr.Gerald Fill, Deputy Assistant for Health Issues. Mr.'Stuart Diamond, a-Coordinatorfbr the Confer- ence, edkedthe*Aference Proceedings at the National Endowment for the Humanieties. These proceedings arl a record of the ideas, issues, andconcerns'uoiced by the participants in the conference; they were prepared from textssubmitted for publication by each,invited speaker, and from recorded transcripts of the day's activities. The views expressedherein are not intended to reflect positions or policies of the agencies or organizations represented byindividual speakers, nor do they reflect the policies orthe NationalEndowment for the Humanities. Rather, the Proceedings of.the International LiteracyDay Confer- ,ence represent an attempt to give permanentform to the explorations and discussions occasioned by this first natibnal conference ondomestic'and worldwide literacy.

8 Introduction

Achieving universal literacy ini.an integral part pf.the United States' commitment to promoting human rights. To be illiterate in the,rnodern world is to ke trapped in a cycle of ignorance, iioverty, and isplatiOn from one's fellow human beings. Moreover, active participation in the econo0c, social, cultural and political lifs of the community.and the nation requires a bisic capacity to read andiwrite.

, The proportion of the population having literacy skills has risen steadily over the past century,.both in the United States and throughout the world. During the last thirty years'alone, worldwide illiteracy has been reduced from forty-

A four to twenty-nine percent of the population. However, rapid population growth has meant that more peopleover 800 millionare illiterate today than was the case thirty yeah ago. Problems of illiteracy are particularly pro- nounced in third world andfdevelopirig nations. In the twenty-five least developed countries, where the, per-capita income is less than one hundred dollars per year, illiteracy rates average over 80 percent. Illiteracy helps to create a vicious circle of underdevelopment. It severely hampers economic growth, per- petuating a national poverty.level which makes'it nearly impossible to undertake major educational initiatives.

Illiteracy in the United States is of equally serious concern, although the problem has important differences in dimension. In a highly advanced techno-` logical society, citizens must master increasingly complex language usage to be functionally literatecapable of holding a job, filling out a form, or voicing an opinion effectively. Aphougb, by, UNESCO standards, illiteracy in this country has virtually disappeared, twen6t-three million Americans currently lack even the minimal skills and knowledge essential for day-to-day living, and an additional thirty-nine minion suffer from inadequate literacy skills. More than one, out of four Americans cannot fully participate in our society due to their lack of competence in reading and writing.

This Conference, coordinated by the White House Office of Health Issues, and sponsored jointly by the Department of State, the Agency for International Development, the Department' of Health, Education and Welfare, and private. sector Or anizations, reflects a growing national concern for the problem of illiteracy. Itlso marks our obseervirice of the thirteenth UNESCO-sponsored Internation iteracy Day by an effort to increase public support for achieving universal li cy.

The goals the conference are broadly outlined in President Carter's inau- gural addresto "Fight our amars against poverty, ignorance, and injustice.- and in the Ielsinki Agreements of 1975: "To promote the exchange of experience, on a teraror multilateral basis, in teaching methods at all levels of education.- To fulfill these goals, the conference brought together leaders from government, education, the media, and private industry to discuss strategies for promoting worldwide literacy, and to review pre*Sent governmental and private

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n effortS in this area. The conference also stressed the need to.create e ective literacy programs for the illiterate poor in this country and abroad.

Perhaps most importantly, the conference demonstrated that solutions for illiteracy are not merely a question of aid and instruction from moce-develOped t!;) under,developed countries. The United States.has much to learn from other nations'efforts to increase literacy, 4s well as much to contribute toward them. 13y convening this conference, and publishing its Wings, we hope to demon- strate our readiness to join in a cooperative international effort toeradicate illiteracy.

.10 Program

10:00Ikelcome and introbuctory remarks t Mr. Tom Reston Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs

..Mr. Edwin Newman: Ma'ster of ,Ceremonies

10:15Keynote Address

Dr: Ernest G. Boyer Commissioner of Education

11:00Presentation of Awards In behalf of the Vice President of the United States International Award Ms. Welthy Fisher Founder clf Literacy House . India Peesenter

, Mr. C. WHliam Maynes Assistant Secretary of State Bureau,of International Organization Affairs National Award Ms. Joan Ganz Cooney 4 President, ChHdren's TV WorkshopSesame Street Presenter vv. Ms. Patricia Graham 'It. Director, National InstitUtek of Education 0, 11 :45Ulrich

1:00National Panel

Mr. Alexander Buqce President, McGraw-Hill Book Company

Reverend Jesse Jackson President, Operation PUSH

Mrs. Robert McNamara Chairman. Reading Is Fundamental

Dr. Craig Phillips State Supenntendent of Public Instruchon, North Carolina

Moderator Dr. Mary F. Berry Assistant Secretary for, Education

1 1 2:30Break

2:45International Panel

Dr. James. Grant President, Overseas Develop, ment Council . Mr. Ak lilu Habte Director, gducation Department The World Bank Dr. Seth Spaulding Department of International Education ,University or Pittsburgh Dr. Dorothy Strickland . President, International Reading Association

Mbderator

David Bronheim Assistant Administrator Intergovernmental and Inter- national Affairs, Agenty for International De\mlopment

4:15Closing Remarks

Dr, Joseph Duffey Chairman, National Endowment for the Humanities

Reception immediately following in the Benjamin Franklin Room

4 Executive Summary 37)

5, proceedings of the International Literacy Day Conference refledt the often-diverging views of its seventeen major speakers. Conferees were united, however, in asserting that illiteracy cannot be treated as an isolated phenomenon, apart fr,om, the economic., social and political conditions of those:whosuf- fer from it. They poinied to the'strong correlation between family income and literacy levels in the United States, and stressed the need to yiew international literacy programs as part of an integrated basic-needs approach- to &velopment, in conkinction, with program;; in such area's aS nutrition; family planning health, agricultural develor;Ment, and employment.

Those who participated in tile conference 'also agreed That literacy sfiould be viewed as part of "a total language learning profess." Many of the speakers emphasized the needle, maintain continuity between bral 6ommunication and literacy skills. Others discussed posit,iye and negative influences of mass media on patterns of oracy and literacy in contemporary societyi and oneparticipant ; called for a commission to assess "the growingcrisis of the print culture," The closing remarks furthenemphasized the importance of literacy as a basis for -cultural arrd political citizenship, noting the connection between the goal of uni- - veisal literacy and, fundamentaldemocratic values of equal social and economic opportunity, political self-determination, and freedom of thought.

Specific policy issues were also addressed at the conference, and individual speakers made numerous recommendations in regard,to them. ln the area of federal legislation, a number of the'conferees pressed for the enactment of the administration:backed Bask Skills and Educational Quality Act.' They also urged that additional federal funding be prpided for adult basic education programs. Other proposals included support for community-based initiatives.to bring literacy skills to the disadvantaged, hard-core poor, and establishing long-term educational priorities at the federal level to ensure 'continuous support for programs proven effective in-the teaching of basic skills.

The participants on the Nationtd Panel emphasized policies and initiatives for the early years of formal education. They recommendea that highest priority be given to teaching the fundamentals of reading and writing during the first three S,ears of public sahooling. To accomplish this aim, conferees voiced the ne4a4,for more exten-sive staff training for public school teaqiers, greater use of television and structured volunteer programs for teaching bask skills, and increased support for the distribution of "top quality, inexpensivt books. Another recurring theme in the discussions was the need for strong ties between the schools and their communities. The participants stressed that teachers and adMinistrators must carry moral authority within the community, and equally, that parents must lend the psychologicAl support essential to maintaining order and self-discipline within a classroom, if disadvantaged children are to 'be Motivated to le-arn basic literacy skills.

'Subsequent to the Conference, Congress passea portion of this legislation Title H Law,95-561, "Basic Skills Improvement," 1978 Education Amendments.

13 1jiscussiorks of tho United-States' rble in intetnationalliteracy eff6rts_centexe0 on' methods of integratingJiteracy training into all areas of internationaldeVelopmtnt asSistanceIóng-range timetables for the era-aic4ion o1ilteraey receiyed sOme attention; ancj Oneparticipant exnessedup'po-rtforthe Clyb-cif Rorrie's target75, percent lit:eracy in all coUntyies..by the year 20b0., achieving this target figure, Set

,forth in .the rep6rt, Reshaping he Inteinatioo2il'Or8er, wnuki :reqdire.a m4ior Acceleration in.-third- wprld efforts; plans Sticfr4s lit)dila-s new Revised Minirntim. Needs:Prograrn were. cited as haVing thertecessary sccippe to: at'complisliVie task. *, United States financial.'support for:the Re'vised Minirrinth Needs Priigrarp was . strongly urged:, I Th8 deliberations ottht Intetnation.Vanel, however, tended to,focus,On efforts

.needed within undemlevelOped nations-rto laii nch 'and maintain succes.sful:baSic. education prograins. Third-world .countries Weie urged tO pool national resourcescreating programs which transeend depgirnental jurisdictionsto make the struggle lot literaqy an integral part- of their development process. Creating instructional laterials, as well as publishing and press-- capacities, IR indigenous languages allit4e local level was strongly advocated-, as well asbuilding local capacitiZslor evaluating basic skills instruction. )

The conferees also exchanged views on the difficulties associated with assistance from international organizations. Voluntary organizations involved in, grass-roots level instruction weg,e pointed to as highly useful sources of informationand, supportones that developing nations could call 'upon with greaterfrequency. GroupnAt,ch as the International Reading Association were proposed as potential clearing-houses for information and research on succsssful educationproaams -from nations with a broad spectrum of needs ancr,life-patterirs. Finally, the technical and substantive work of the United Nations and it member agencies was

. cited as having been insufficiently ,thilized, both in the U.S. and amang developing nations. Suggestions followed for increasing opportunities for providers of literacy services and planners of third -world Jiteracy programs to exchange information and ideas.

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OF-FICE2FTHE VICE,PRESIDENT 4 WASHINGTON

MESSAGE TO INTERNATIONAI. LITERACY' DAY CONFERENCE

1,. dept.Carter and I are.deligktpd to Welcome you to the International Literacy Day Conference.

.. . . *".". -Your meeting toOycis a!,powerful symbol of olq. commitm

. to the fUndamental human right to literacy. The 'ability "to read and,write-:is the iro,941-dwork on which alf our hopes foworld:progress are built, . M. bno a v ,* 'WithoA.liteeacy,, there are meager Aspects for eradica- ing.hunger'and dieease. Wifhopt literacy, our on-slaught .0,n.poveAy is.destine&to failure. Without 14eracy, despair and decaj will invariably sthlk our efforts to improve the quality of life for people everywheie.

But.thisionference7reaffirmsthp goal of world literacy. We believe in literacy as anneispensable.tool in itself, as a fundamental human'rightAnd as a gatewy tO other Vuman rightS a5 well.- , We also believe.our dollars in education are endlessly repaid. Illiteracy breeds unemployment. Dropouts fall prey to dependency and.despair. To help fight this, we've ,asked Congress tO'adopt the biggest budget increases in elementary,and sedondary education in_the history of this nation. And,most of. the money will go to the educa- tionally disadvantaged through Title T and through Head Start where w&re emphasizing the need,for basic skills. Your agenda is ambitions, and as a group you represent both an impressive array of talent, and a moving testimony of continued dedication, to a cruclal goal. We are deeply grateful for your'devotion.to the hopes and fytures of all Ameri6ans. .And todhy we have a special opportunity to consider our own comitment.toeliteDacy in the context .of an interdependent global pommunity. I wish you the greatest success on this important day.

Walter F. Mondale

15 The Proceedings Of The international Literacy Day Conference SePtember 8, 1978

. Welcome and in roductory remarks conneinion with language-and literacy as a foray, ¬ 'into enemy country, at any Mr.Tom 9estO, rate ntoi alien country.,Language does not Deputy Assistant Secretary enjoy its finest flowering,here in Washing; 'of State for Public'Affairs tor. But perhaps that rnakeit-appropriate for us to be here, because it seems to me Mr. 1:11,u'in.Newman, that we have n6 hope of dealing with out' Master of Cerervonies, .problems; exceilf by chance, unless we understand thern, and one-another..And I do not see how we Can do that unless we can MR. RESTON dig ourselves out from under the jargon, .the mush, the smog, the dull pompOUs Good morning. I am Tom R.eston, Deputy boneless gassey language under which we Assistant Secretary of Stare for Public Af-'Americans have been burying ourselves and fairs, and I want 'to welcome all of you beneath which we have very .nearly disap- here today on behalf of Secretary Vance peared here in Washington. That may not and the Department of State. I find it hope-seem as dramatic a challenge as some oth- ful that- so many concerned people are ers that face the country; it may not be -gathered together to address the problem thought to be something by which a nation of illiteracy, and I am more hopeful still lives or dies; but I think that in the long that yeti will address it withscourage and run it is as pressing as any. determination. It is Particulatly impOrtant It may be in the short run as well. It has that our discussions today will involve not unfortunately become typical of American only various agencies of the United.States English that enough is never enough. Was and other governrhents, but also concernedan e.xpense account padded? The NewYork members of the Private sector. Timestells us it was falsely padded. Has I have a pleasant task this morning, and Alaskan oil given usa reprieve?President that is to introduce Ed Newman, Ou? Mas- Carter tells us it hai given us a temporary ter of Ceremonies for the day. Mr:. New- reprieve. The Federal Bar Association here -man is a great figure in.American in Washingtonand with the exception of joul-nahsm. He has been covering the newssociologists, language. has no worse enemy for over a quarter of.a-century. He has than lawyersurged its members to join a been the bureau chief for his agency in group tour of Europe, and pointed outthat London,.in Rome and in Paris, and has one of the attractions of the tour was non- covered five sets of national political con- regimented freedom to do as you wish. ventions in this country. His special That sounds as though it might degenerate achievements include numerous public sex-- into license. vice programs for the National Broadcast- Last June a number of physicianswho ing Company; he also received the Peabody don't do much for English, eithergath- Award in 1967 for-his commentaries for ered at the University of California School NBC radio. He has received honors for of Medicine-at San Francisco to discuss distinguished service from the University the psychological issues surrounding termi- of Missouri, one of 'the great journalism nality. Not deathterminality. Oh termi- .-schools in this country, and is widely nality, where is thy sting? The Elmo Roper known for his two best-selling books, Polling Organization did a report last year Strictly SpeakingWill Americo be the on medical dareinsidancethat shoukl be Death of English?. and A Civil Tongue. of some interest in this cityand it asked Without further ado-=-Ed Newman. people among other things whether they tended to have children. The younger the' EDWIN NEWMAN people asked, the fewer the' children they said they would have, The Roper Organi- Thank you, Tom Reston. zation commented in a sentence of aston- Speaking for myself. I have to say that I ishing silliness. "Thus, a large part of the rather regard coming to Washington in generation under thirty hasbadopted child-

17 lessness as a viable diption." Childlessness'received from her optometrist, and it re'ad, will not lead to much viability. It is time for your.progreSs,case study to s. For many social scientists, I am sorry tosee how your visual system . is operating in have to say, almost any nonsense will its 'new envirOnment." Come in anci have serve. I was serit, not long ago, a pora- your glasses checked. graph of a job application in the field of so- Weil, wiiat ought to be done aboutall of cial work, The apPlicant said of herself, ".1 this? What ought to be done about the have substantial and intensive experienCe problem we are dealing with toddy, which in these major fieldscriminal justice, hu- is largely a Matter of people who are'deman service &livery s.ystems, and volun;- prived 'of the opportunity of becoming liter- teerisrn. My work, experience is unique in ate? For reasons beyond their control they that it encompasses both the direction of are illiterate. My concern is principally with' complex pragmatic efforts and the applica- people who have every opportbnity to be tions of consultative and evaluative skills literate but abuse that opportunity. Ho,w and teghnirees. In addition, the major as- can youniake people believe that langudge.

pect of my Work experience has been fo- . matters? cused on the design and implementation of I spoke,recently to two thousand high linkages and pragmatic interfaces among school students near Philadelphia, and I service delivery' systems to provide a sys-. tried to toll them why language was impor- tern to target populations'Ordinarily not tant, and' paraphrase briefly here reached or serviced." You ask yourself, what I said then, I. told them that they "What work does she propose to do?" Is might be' unconvinced by my arguments in the designing andpiplementation of prag- favor,of precision and correctness of lan- matic interfaces something we should want guage. That they might tell themselves that to happen? I do not know. And of course language does not matter, and that they this kind of writing spreads. The book re- could see this from the fact that so few viewer in the Washingwn Post did not people do use it well. They might think want to.use'so untechnical a term as that those who think language is important mother. He spoke of the maternal parent. are snobs who simply want them io sound was thinking recently of the Boy Stouts' as they do. 1 told the pupils that I under- MottoBe Prepared. Two words, three stood that point of view. If the level of syllables, and it says everything thai has toSpeaking and writing in this country falls, be said. If.the scouts were getting a motto the disadvantage that goe§ with using the today, it would speak of contingency plans, language poorly must-fall with it, Buts spectrum of calculated response reactionsequally, the' advantage of using the lan- it would certainly not be, "Be Prepared." guage well increasesprecisely because We have reached the point in the United that advantage is less widely shared. States where'it is not enough for children' And .there are other points. Using the to get an education, or even a good educa- language imaginatively, amusingly. sardoni- tion. They must have, according to the lat- cally, poetically, economically, arrestingly, est fashion, a quality educational can be fun and can be satisfying. It can be experience. Well, there are many examples. one of the factors that shape your attitude of this kind and I shouldn't go on very toward the rest of the world. It gives you, much longer. But I cannot forbear to men- or helps to give you, a position from which tion the Head of the Federal Drug Admin- to look at life. It does something else. istration, who said of a report .going aroundSpeaking and writing clearly require that Washington, "This information cannot be you think clearly, require that you frame characterized in the fashion I would repre- your thoughts in concrete and specific sent as conclusionary." I would like to ways. That helps you to see what is hap- think that nothing exists that could be rep- pening when other people do not. And that resented as conclusicinary. Now you will is a means of self-protection, a mea'ns of notice that this kind of language can be , self-defense. Ladies and gentlemen. if you found almost anywhere in the country. , have that self-defense and elf-protection readerin Georgia sent me a card that sti you will be fooled less ofi'en, and that is

18 -gr

worth a great deal. I thank you.forlisten-. PreSident,Carter, in his International Lit- ing to me. I know you have come here-far'eracy Day,proclarnation, declared that "Ed- more to listen to the keynote speaker this ucation. is'5ne a the most important gifts' .morning, to:,whorn I intend to give the brie-our society can give to.,its people. ." fest introduction possible. He is the. UnitedEspecially in our modern worldadequate States Commissioner of Education and it communication skills are essential to Im- seems to me that should be a sufficient reec-prove the lives of all, people, and guarantee ommendation for his speaking her6Iodaytlitir basic human rights. The President 1 Ladies and gentlemen, Ernest L. Boyer. went on to s.ay that everyilliterate adult is' al an indictment of us all.' Word symbols are indeed essential; theY DR, BOYER are the building blocks of complex Keynote Address thought. And language not .only gives us Dr. Ernest a Boyer dignity, and freedam---4t gives us the capac- Commissioner of Education ity to.create as well. The noted Brazilian educator and philos- I was enormously.relieved when that intro-opher, Paolo Freire, observed that,, duction was-completed; With every illus- "Learning to speak and write ought to'tie tration I expected to hear read back to me an opportunity for men to know what a memo from the United StateS Office of speaking any word really meanS: a human Education. act, implying reflection and action. As'Istic I thought of Ed Newman several monthsit is a primordial human right and not the ago when an associate of mine brought in aprivilege of a few." This is the central, th report I was. to sign. I glanced through it sis of this conference. and discovered that it was garbled and shot In recent years our global push for lite full of educationese. Clarity and simplicity acy has made dramatic gains. From 195o was not the style, and I insisted that it'be 1960 illiteracy,worldwidedropped fro rewritten clearly and succinctly. At this 44.3 to 39.3 percent. From 1960 to 1970 .t point my associate, wanting to please, re- dropped again, to 34.2 percent. And it bibs sponded by saying, "Oh you mean you been estimated that today "only" 20 pe would like me to layrninize the report. cent of the world's population cannot r ad And I said, "Precisely," ETA it just oc- or write. ,curred to me that the title of Your next But these statistics conceal much m e book might be "Let:s Laymanize the than they reveal. In recent years, mifli ns Lankuage." of people have indeed been taught to d This conference celebrates ihtrteenthand write, and yet these gains have UNESCO International Literacy kept pace with population growth. based on the central premise that h racy Between 1960 and 1970, the illitera y acquiring written language skillsis a basicrate in Africa. Asia, and the Arab stales human right. It acknowledges that the cat-. dropped approximately 8 percent. Di4ring pacity to send and receive messages sets this same period, however, the total num- humanity apart from all other forms of life,ber of people in these regions who cOuld and that through language we are bound neither read nor write continued to in- together in the profound interdependence crease. In the Arab states, the number of we call society. illiterates increased from 42 to 49 million. All we know, all we fear, and all we In Asia, the number of illiterates grew from hope is created and conveyed through 542 to 579 million people, whi0 is 46 per- symbols, and a man or woman who does cent of the total population. Andin 1970 not master the written word is isolated 73 percent of the people on the continent from the past, ignoran.t of the future, trap-'of Africa could not read or write. Through- ped in a tiny world of narrow possibilities, otil.).he entire world today, nearly 800 mil- and tragically cut off from the benefits of lion are illiterate, which is an increase of life. 100 million people since 1950.

19 ,Kurt Waldheim recently .obstaved that. had soared to 2,291 pages. In 1960, 15,000 `It is an unhappy fact that in lekorld in book titles were published; a.decade later, which scientific.and technological progress the ntimber had more than doubled, to is unequalled in history, one adult in three oVer 36,000. MoreIhap 2,000 large, closely eannot read or write."' printeil pages are now required merely to

By UNESCO standards illiteracy. in This. list by author, title,ancl subject the paper- country has all but disappeared. The' num- back books currently in print. And the 'Li- ber of Americans unable to read or write braey. of Congress is.acquiring some new dropped from 11.3 percent in 1900 to 4,8 material eVery second of every working -. percent in'l 930 to 1.2 percent today. . (14. In one day, more information-1s trans- But tAmerica's dramatic march toward mitted than the total knowledge available universal literacy also has a darker side. to mankind in'the Renaissance. While almost everyone has learned in Very Clearly 'this is an age of great potential simple terms' to read and write,1he.rez for-hut-1.Jan progress. But this also has be- quiremena of language usage in this Na- come in age of tremendous peril. There is tion havein recent yearsgroWn -.4 growing. evidence that, with so much 5tim- increasingly complex, and we haye not keptulation, the (juality of language in-this, Na- pace. tion has diminished. There is growing When America was foundedi pie shapingevidence that our communications have be- and sending pf messages was a sioW and come increasingly imprecise,And therevis labored proqess. It took several weeks for growing evidence ihat language skillsfor news of the. American uprising to reach many of our fellow citizenshave not kept King George:s ears. And the fastest Pony pace ,with the increased demands of our Express trip ever made between St. Jo- complicated culture. seph, Miskuri, and Sacramento, Califor- Today millions of men, WOrnen and chil- nia, took 1.days and 17 hours.-That record dien sit in darkened rooms for hours was set in.'1860. watching 'fleeting imageslistening, not But all,of that was yesterday. Today we speaking to each other, twisting knobs, not are bombardedfrom birtlito deathby writing letters. Millions of people passively sights and-sounds far more persistent and soak up the messages of others rather than intense than anything our ancestors could . create and send messages of their own. . have dreamed. Ninety-nine and nine-tenthsAnd as Ed Newman said recently, we no percent of American hoMes have at least longer,kave the luxury of silenceto .figure one radio: Computers now send mes'sages---out what we want to say, or to reflect on calculating at the rate of 4 to 5 million "ac-what others sax.to us. Millions of Ameri- tions" eVery second. An earth-controlled cans never seem to write these days ex- Voyager rocket is on its way to Saturn, cept perhaps to scrawl their signature at More than 750 million miles away. If all the.bottom of a charge card or a credit goes well, it will sail on to Uranus, wb..ich slip. is billion miles away.. ,The Educational Testing Service Today we have in America about' 125 .-ported in 1972 that while approxicately million television setsthat's an average o one-tfiird of American adults read books nearly two. sets from every household, Andabout 45 minutes on a'given daymostly TV is viewed, or at least it's turned on, 6-.A the Bible--approximately one-half of ail ,hours every day. And speaking of compari,adult Americans never read a book. sons-1 understand that all of the printed The pa!Aadox is this: While illiteracy in script of a 30 minute telecast of the eve- this Nation has continued to decline, the ning news would fill one-third of a plige of "language sophistication" now required the New York Tipp. continues to increase. The point is not to While TV has grown, printed publica- romanticize the past but to acknowledge tions also have multiplied dramatically in* that our world has gotten increasingly recent years. li1948, the year Harry Tru- complex, man defeated Dewey. the Neil' York Times index ran 1 yages. By 1970, the total

20 --,.. -',.. . Ili Professor Ted R. Kilty, in a fascinating D ing the firSt 3 years,of life each study, analyzed materials an prdinary per- chexcept the moVseverely handi- , son ,has to read. He found that a 6th grade cappedbegins to understand the miracu- reading level is required it) understand a lo:*s process We call language. Each, child driver's license manual. An 8th grade levelconverts thoughts and feelings into Sym-, ts needed to follow the directions on a fro- bois we call words. Each child automati- zen TV dinner. Aspirin bottle instructions cally interprets sound distinctions we call are written at a 10th grade reading level. plwnemes. And; each child---with little or To understand an insurance policy rettuiresno.coachingshapes the;tongue'and teeth a 12th grade ability, and, to no one's sur- and oral caVity td reproduce such compli- prise,. college ability is required tofigure cated Sounds as "R'.. and "L" and "N." out the theaning of an apartment lease., and "K." Now and then you need a lawyer to untan- To move from the spoken to the written gle the garbled syntax. And I suspect that word is simply an extensioh of a pr,o- is kre,cisely the way the game is expected foundly .complicated process already ac- to be played. , , quired by yo.ung children..and we should The potht is this: In'frontier villages,, 200!-- assume suCcess, not failure, for each stu- years ago, those who could write their ' dent. To put the issue as pointedly as I name and read several books and simple canrm convinced children will learn to messages were looked upon as educated read and write in s:chool if these skills are pe'rsons. And when John Harvardwho given top priority. founded Harvard Collegehad a library .of President Carterin the Basic Skills and about 80 books, he was considered a xery .Educational Quality Att he has sent to educated person. Todaywith new tech- Congresshas underscored the faci that. nology, new products, and the e*plosion ofteaching every child to read and write is a printed publicationsa person who has top priority of this Administration. In the these limited language skills is Considered proposed legislation every State i,s encour- ignorant. Such people often are frustrated aged to devePop a statewide literacy plan and confused by the complexity of day-to- both for young children and adults. The day transactions. , .new legislation also calls for a closer part- It has been. estimated that more than 20 nership with parents. SchoOls cannot teach million adult Americins are functionally il- Children all alone anti parents must partici- literatethey just ,do not have the languagepate more actively in the education of their skills they neeil to get along. The central children. The use of television to tach Ian- inescapable faits persist. Illitera ty. in both guage fundamentals is also proposed. Chil- the sO-called developing and the developed'dren watch television from 4,000 to 5,000 regions of the woEld'i's a human curse hours before they ever go to school. And, which cannot be ignored. A renewed na- sbefore they graduate, students spend more tional and international commitment to time in front of television than in front of worldwide literacy is required. teachers. In recent years television has bp- in America excellence in language must come more powerful than the classroom be the Nation's goal. Every child must be teacher. I'm convinced that the gap be- taught reading and writing fundamentals tween television and the classroom can and auri,ng the first three years of formal edu- must be closed. . catibn. And in.the upper grades all children Recently, the Library of Congress and must develop vocabulary and language the Office of Education co-sponsored a comprehension. conference on Television, the Classroom This commitment to teach all children to and the Book. The goal of this conference...- read and write effectively is, I arn,con- was to emphasize that television must rein- vinced, a realistic goal. After all-Lbefore force, not undercut, the goals of formal ed- they ever come to schoolall children haveucation. After all, Sesame Street alone has already mastered the fundamentals of introduced millions of children to words communication, and phonemes and to the number system before they ever go to school, and I'm de-

21 lighted that on thisJ4ternatinal Literacy dren but also on adults. Today, through Day Joan Ganz Cooney will be recognized the Adult Education Act, we reach some for her brilliant work-'not as a technician, two million older. people. every year.'These but as one of this Nation's greatest teach- adult students are taught reading and writers. The distribution of. top quality, iinex- ing fundamentals as well as math. To expensive books also is proposed in the pand this program the Administration has President's new legislation. If our children increased the adult edudation budget from are'to read, the bookshelves in our homes $80.5 million in 1977 to $90.7 million. In must be filfed with more than knickknacks'Odition, the Office of Education has signed and plastic 'flowers. If we are to achieve lit-interagency agreements with.CETA, HUD, eracy, children must have books to read. ACTION, and the, U.S. Navy to provide This year the United States Office of Ed-reading and writing instruction to adults. ucationthrough the Reading Is Funda- The ACTION program alone is using more mental programwill diStribute 11 million than 33,000 older Americans as tutors all books to 3.85 million children. That's a 16 across*the country to teach other adults to percent inerease in books distributed in read. Projec. READ, Sponsbred by the De- just one year. Good reading and good 4.41 partment of. Justice, uses botraditional books are inextricably interlocked, and' thisand alternative schools to incrse sinifi- push to-get literature to young readers mustcantly the reading capacity of t ags in continue to expand. trouble with the liw. Finally, t.Nati nal Teachers,'too, are of course allsolutely Institute of Education--NIE conduct- crucial, and we have increased the support. ing national research and exrimentation for Teacher Centers whicl will permit in literacy. Under Pat Graham s able lead- classroom teachers to wo4k together to ith-ership this important agency is giving vig- proye their teaching skill orous attention to.teaching reading and In addition, other'keyFederal educationwriting in the schools. programssuch as Head Start, Follow am confident'that if we give literacy Through, and Title 1have greatly in- top priority in this -Nation, children can be creased their commitment to the basic taught to read and write, and that adults skills. Anfl currently 80 percent of all Fed-can have the language sophistication they eral suPport to elementary and secondary need to cope in our complicated world. schools is focused on teaching children to It is very clear that we also must partici- read and write. pate aggressively in the worlthvide literacy Finally, to achieve language excellence, crusade. UNESCO's push against illiteracy schools rpust be supported by business andwas proclaimed as far back as its first Gen- industry, private agencies, and ordinary eral Conference in 1946, and since that citizens. Several months,ago I visited Mar-date numerous resolutions fil'tve 6cknowl- tin ,Luther King School in Schenectady, edged UNESCO's commitment to world New York. Walking down the corridor, I literacy. Bi'it there have been more than saw an older man and a young boy sitting formal resolutions. The World Conference in the library with a book. I discovered of Education Ministers held at Teheran in that the mana retiree from G.Ehad 1965 marked a historic turning point. It volunteered to corne tochool each day towas therein Teheranthat the Experi- tutor boys and girls. More than that, he mental World Literacy Program was had convinced 35 other retirees to volun- launcheda program which intensively teer to help children with their reading. pushed literacy projgcts in 11 countries. The older man explained to me that it UNESCO also has established two Re-. made no sense for him to sit at home and gional Centers for Functional Literacy2in .ctiticize the schools while he had intelli- Mexico and Egypt. And, while UNESCO's Once, knew how to read, and cared deeplyprograms have not kept pace with popula- about children and our Nation's future. tion growth, the effort is absolutely crucial The schools must have citizen support. and must be sustained. One further point: A national literacy program miAt focus not just on young chil-

"2 N The Agency for International Develop-. intricate network of iadio signals, satel- mentAID--also is involved in literacy. lites, computers, and, of course, the writ- The Agency spends approximately $100 ten and spoken word. -million annually on educationabout half There are, right now, ideas:Lwhole sys- of it on nonforrnal, o0t-of-schdol instruc- tems of creative thoughtso vast,that po tion and primary education. AID also has_ one man or-no one woman,can.ever hope recognized that literacy must be tied to the to fully comprehend them, and, yet they do daily needs of peoPle, and in the Ethiopian exist and collectively they fit teigetheOust 'Family Life Project, for example, the =' as no single brain cell can contrehend the agency relates literacy classes, for wqrtyen thoughts of the human Mindso it is-that to irpproved nutrition, family planning., no single,human being can comprehend health, and family income. everything that was involved in the wmpli- Literacy is of concern to the World Bank cated human transaction of sending man to as well; last year the Bank loaned 41most outer ,spaceand yet the action was $300 million for educational research and accompPshed. . action. An 4`ow is such human progress possi- This total effort, however, represents ble? It 45 possible wily through communi-.. only a fraction of what must bedorf. I cation,'" we send messages to each other, find it disheartening to note that when the But ip all this where is the person who UNESCO literacY panelwhich awards cannOt read or write-He or she is isolated prizes annually for meritorions work in lit- from the past, ignorant of the future,. trap- eracymet last year it voted'to (tefer the ped in a tiny world of narrow possibilities, award, concluding there were no outstand- and.tragically cut off from the benefils of -- ing projects to be honored. life. On a more hopeful note, Lauback Liter- Worldwide literacy, of the highest qual- acy,International has demonstrated what ity, is an essential human goal. can be done with low budgets, enthusiasm, and hard work. The "each one teach one" .technique has used tens of thoilvnds of volunteers to teach millions of illiterates to read, using-materials prepared in over 300 separate languages. But stilLinore imagination is required. In our electronic agewith satellites hovering over every continent and with inexpensive publications exploding everywherethere must be ways to bring low-cost education to those who,cannot read or write. Above all, we need renewed commit- menta commitment which recognizes just how completely the quality of our language is linked to the quality of our life on earth. There are times when I pause and try to view the Earth from a greater distanceas if from outer space. I see the Earthgreen, and blue, and cloud-coveredunique in this body of planets, unique because of the thin film of human life which extends itself across the surface of our planet. And sometimes it seems to me that this thin film of huMan life is, in fact, one vast living organism, of which each of us is one' small cell, an organism tied together by the connective tissue of communication, by ari

23 Presentation Of The InternatIbnal Award To House) and enlisted suPport withiti India, Dr. Welthy lionsinger Fisher, Europe, Can3cla and the United States. Founder Of Literacy House, India Pr. Fisher has already been honored, with four,honorary degrees and many awards in Presenter recognition of her work arid g eat contribtl-

. Mr. C. William Maynes. tions. We a't the Department c.State re- Assistarit Secretary of State,. cently had the pleasure of sutnitting her Bureau of hternation I name to the Director General of UNESCO Organization Affairs as the United States nomine 'Literacy Awards that are made this. ay under its auspices. SECRETARY MAYNES We have Just received word.from our ambassador to uNgsco that you haVe On behalf of the Department of State and been.selected by the International Jiiry for the Administration, I'm 'honored to wel-. Honorable Mention, and that he has been come here today Dr. WelthyHonsinger asked to receive this award on your behalf Fisher. I think nothingcould be more ap- in the ceremony which is taking-place in propriate, on this International Literacy Day, than to pay tribute to a pioneer in Your contribution as an energetic and this important field of human development sensitive teacher and educator, your vision and human rights. She has devoted a life- and concern as a great humanitarian, and time of service to education and contrib- your years of dedicated service have trans- uteti so much to our understanding of the formed,the lives of literally hundreds of- problems of illiteracy and poverty. thousands of people, and will confinue to Dr. Fisher's accomplishments are formi-do so for decades to come. Dr. Fisher, it is dable. She has filled many different roles intherefore a great pleasure for me to present the 99 years of her life: teacher, adminis- to'you this award: '.'Welthy Honsinger trator, world traveller, lecturer, author,. Fisher, U.S. Nominee for UNESCO award, fundraiser, president and now honorary in recognition of your outstanding contri- chairman of World Education in New York,bUtion to world literacyWafter Mondale, wife of Frederick Fisher, Methodist BishopVice President, United States, Interna- of Calcutta and Burma. tional Literacy Day." She is perhaps best known as the founder of Liter'acy House in Lucknow, India. It \h/tkin India, inspired by Mahatma Gan- DR.FISHER dhi, who personally urged her to help the villages, that Dr. Fisher created new ways Thank you, ynes, for honoring me to teach illiterate adults not only how to today. read, but how to better their lives. By re- 1,4ting literacy to, other needs sLich as more Other honors have come my way food and better nutrition, and smaller and through the yearsin India, in the healthier families, Dr. Fisher trained teachers, atlministrators, writers and puppeteers in the context of functional literacy before But I do treasure this first honor the term was coined. by my own government .. I'm pleased to note that t.he U.S. Gov- Because it means that we are recognizing ernment, through AID, helped supportthe , that illiteracy is not just a problem development of Literacy House for ten 'n developing countries, go years. Dr. Fisher, however,deserves full but,here at home as well! credit for ea,ch phase of its program, which came to inch)de a family lifecentWand a We all believe in the importance of literacy young farmer's institute as well.She also BUTliteracy as a means established an all-Indian board (which for bettering lives for all people presently owns and governs Literacy Literacy linked to the daily needs of people.

24 I have often felt That the wortd is divid d .% PresentationSof The National Award To between those who care for the othe s Ma:Joan Ganz Cooney, President, and those.whov4o'not. , Children's Television WorirshOp

Illiteracy stems from CAR-LESSNESS. Presenter , We know now that it can afflict us also'. Ms. Patricia Giaham . Director, Let us contintie to CARE . National institute of Education so.that everyone has that great chance to grow. MS. GRAkAM And let thoe of us who liave.been helping to develop undernourished lirs abroad, I amdelightedto be here today not only to learn from them, honor,joan Ganz Cooney, Whose work is in our efforts here in America. so familiar to us all, but to honor the cause of inculcating literacy, a goal for which The world is full of new realities know we all strive. We at the National In- for us to keep on learning. stitute of Education have been particularly insistent that we recognize that the primary It is true, as,Mr. Maynes has said, reason we educate people is not for sAlva- that I will be 99 ne)ct week. don, morality, mobility, or even etonomic Should I sit down?-1 can't. gainalthough any or all of those, conse-, You see, I am getting ready to join forces quences may in fact result from education with that growing minority'group but that our primary reason for education of 13 thousand Centenarians in this country! is for literacy. In the past we ,have been reluctant to ar- ..et u9- allyoung and old, black and white gue that literacy, in its broadest sense, was whatever our faith. adequate justification for the educational hold to our strength and love for the work system. I have argued that until we are ahead. willing to accept that the principal business of the educational enterprise is to make . There is' no tirrte like the ftiture, for caring. persons li te riteable to yead write, ma: nipulate symbols, and develop independent I give you welcome to the great field of means of making judgements anddetermin- literacy. ing actionswe will continue to charge the educational systern_with undertakings in Thank You. which it is,doomed to failure. More irnpor- tant, we will'misunderstand the central purpose of education itself. Education is not simply a means to an end; it is a legiti- mate end in itself. Achieving literacy for our total population is a difficult challenge. We are unlikely to achievt genuine progress towards universal literacy unless we make it the preeminent goal of our educational system. Universal literacy is a step closer to our grasp now than it has been in the past because of the efforts of Joan GanzCooney. She has-taelt..,us effective uses of television which previously were only theoreti- cal possibilities; the Children's Television Workshop is valuable to us not anly because of its enormous popularity, but because it stands'as an example of spectacularof Sesame Street more than 10 years'ago. , success in(-field where the greatest atten- To this day, it continues to underwrite part tion is so often on failure. Educational re- of the cost of the series. Sesame Street search and practice have in the past tob never has had a better friend, frequently been focused on the documenta- As Sesame Street enters its tenth sea- tion of failure, and it has tob often in the son, I'm happy to report that more than 8 past been practiced in isolation. Research- 'Ilion youngsters in this country ,Ione are ers, administrators, curriculum designers, gular beneficiaries of OE's sustained in- teachers, and publishers have consistently terest in using television to reach and teach gone about their business as if each others'preschodl children. activities were unimportant or non-existent. Within months of the debut of Sesame. Joan Ganz Cooney has shown us that all ofStreet, back in 1969, OE asked that we the people and resources which are neces- create a series that specificallyaddressed sary for a truly successful educational en- the reading problems of youngsters from deavor can be brought together and focusedthe ages of seven to ten. The result was successfully. "The Electric Company." Her combination of skills has in a way As former U.S. Commissioner of Educa- made life more difficult for all of us in edu-tion Sidney P. Marland said at the time, cation. The Congress, the foundations, the "Perhaps no other innovation in the general public all now say to us, "Bring tory of education has made its presence me a Sesame Street." We are fortunate to felt among so many people in so short a have such a high standard of success for time. .The extent to which American el- which we must strive. ementary schools put this teaching aid to It iS with great pleasure that I present classroom use is truly one of the remarka- you this National Award (signed by the ble events in the history of instructional Vice President of the United States) on thetelevision." occasion of International Literacy 'Day. The Electric Company, which is now in repeat showings, starts its eighth season M& COONEY this fall. Some two and a half million children now watch the program in classrooms' Thank you very much, Dr. Graham. On around the countrY, and an estimated four behalf of Big Bird and all of the others and a half million more see it in their who have made Sesame Street one of ihe homes. - world's most traveled roadsye deeply ap-' Because of the Office of Education, pri- 'preciate this cecognition. vate philanthropy'and, very impórtantly, If I mav paraphrase one oflir"com- public broadcasting itself, Children's Tele- mercials' on Sesame Street, I .,ould like vision Woikshop has had an opportunity to ,to say a kind word for one of our spon- explore the potential of television for im- sors. My message today is brought to you proving the literacy skills of youngsters. by the letters "U", "S", "0",. and'E". lrany one finding erged from the Se- Fox whatever the Children's Television same Street and Thelectric Company ex- Workshop has been able to achieve in the periments, it was thitelevision and the cause of national literacy has been made printed word can be ery effettive partner& possible, to a large extent, by the U.S. Of- in the cmse of nationI literacy; television fice of Education. and pri'fiOare not mu Ily extlusive: It was among the first governmental in- Today television ia powerful teaching stitutions to appreciate the potential of instrument in other phises of learning both Melevision as a medium of education, and it and outside the clas room. The potential has never wavered in its belief that the me-certainly is there, and it should be ex- dium could be an effective way to reach plored further4as a supplementary mean?of childrep with programs of educational improving all the basic learning skills our value. ! children require to enter the mainstream of The Office of Education was the largest American life. underWriter when we began the production In its short history, television has

26 ,

emerged as dee most pervasive medium in National panel our cultureand in that of a great many other countries as well. Television has cre- Mr. Alexander Burke ated a new realitypartiôularly among President, McGraw-Hill Book Company youngsters. Almost every child in this country has a Reverend Jesse Jkson television set in his or her home:And just President. Opera tiori1, PUSH about every preschool child'spends more than one-third of his waking hours watch- Mrs. Robert McNamara ing television. - Chairman, Realling Is By the age of 10 the aVerage Child spend, Fundamental . more time watching television than he 'or she spends in the classroom during the Dr. Craik Phillips week. We may not like it, nor approve of State Superintendent of Public Instruction, it, but it is a fact that we must face in this NorttrCarolina country and try to use to educational advantage. Moderator Because television burst upon the na- Dr. Mary F. Berry tiOpal scene so quickly, we as a nation Assistant Secretary for Education neyer asked the hard questions about our ob,*ctives for this powerful medium. In the minds of many, it was simply a technologi- DR. BERRY cal Ovance that could collect advertising dollars and sell entertainment to vast Literacy,we have learned from history, is audignces. a demanding goal. But no aspect of educa- But now there is a growing number of tion has, or should have, a higher priority people who are beginning to ask those hardthan the extension of literacy to all of our questions about the objectives of televi- people. -1 sion! And well they might. We as a soci- Though demandinethe goal of universal ely, by and large, continue to spend more literacy.is not unattainable. I believe that we to advertise to children than to create can' come to a 'time when 95 to 99 percen,t of wo0whi1e programs for them to watch. all Americans are able to function not just at Not Surprisingly, criticism of television the.basic level of.competence, but at the keeps growing. level of advanced learning as well. Thanks to a powerful idea executed with We must strive to produce a people who care, the work of the Children's Televisioncan read and who can understand and eval- Workshop has spread throughout the world.uate what they read; a people who can And if it has proven anything, it is that work with and understand numbers; a peo- television is worthy of serious considera- ple who can perform basic skills, as well as tion by serious people as an edusational gain an understanding of history': govern- supplement. ment and the sdences which goes beyond Little is actually known about the effectsthe basics. of television, but one thing is sureit's not If ever there was a time when we need going tQ go away. More study and experi- to strive for this goal; it is now: mentalion need to be undertaken if televi- When the National Center for Education sion is to become a powerful force for Statistics tells us that 42 percent of the 17- enlightenment and education. But we have year-old minority students are functionally seen the tip of the iceberg, and can say illiterate. with certainty that there is enough poien- When we are told.that one in eight 17- tial there for us to disagree with Pogo, whoyear-olds cannot read well enough to get once said "We are surroundedby insur- along in life. mountoble opportunities." When we are told that.more than20 per- Thank you. centof American adults are not able to fill

27 V P- out forms ana functi m ef ectively on #teir emph-asis in what is termed the "me era' own. is on what education can get you or what it. When we hear recukirig complaints fromcan buy. businesses that those`they recruir are Yet in today's job market, with-its nigh incompetent in the blisic skills. uriem*yrnent rates, the capacity of edu- When achievement te,gt sews are cation to fulfill this promise is questio'ned. portedly on a downward trend. -- 7 Moreover, we have experienced turbu- When school boards are faced with law-lent timein recent decades. We have been suits charging incompetency, irresponsibil--through: ity and-malpractice. , The astassitiation of three of our leaders, Public opinion polls tell 14 that national The Vietnam War, port for the movement toward litera,cy 'Civil and racial distuibances on our ts strong and gaining mornentum;The in- carripuses and in the.,streets of our inner tensity of-the public feeling on the issue isr.'cities, and . : evident-in the states where legislatures 1 The near impeacUtient of a president. are responding :yith minimum competendy At the same time, \..ve begaif the at0ck sland,ards for their schools, and in the posi-on major social ills such as poverty and tive response to competency Advocates segregation. We starttd to address the such as Jesse Jackson throvelokt!,the elimination orsexism and to pursue affirm- country, .2. ative action programs.. The concern has reached the.halls of And our schools were at the center of all Congress, where the dialogue has included that social conflict and change. Addressing discussion of fhe establishment of nationaleach of the major social issues in our coun- standards: try generated new situations, new school After two decades of educational reformconstituencies, new student needsand and innovation, we are moving toward res-special ones in some cases. to*ionback to the fundamentals of tra- I am suggesting that many societal faCt`\ ditronal schooling. tors beyond the school environment corn The common view, of course, is that -to bear on the problem of illiteracy. :there is something drastically wrong with \In earlier days, schools did not compete American education and that the way to with television for the student's attention correct this condition is throughNcurricular'Students came to school predisposej-to reconsiruction and competency-based learn. motivated and encouraged biiv their testing. "home and community forces. Family eve- Times have changed: There was a time nings often centered on children's home- when educatiOn was valued in and of itself.work; curfeN encouraged a stay-at-home A good mind was a well-read mind; a goodclimate: mind was a developed mind. Education Today, polls tell us that lack of student was valued because of its potential as an discipline and apathy are major problems 'economic mobility factor. Indeed, it was a in the schools. The family structure, has necessity for mobility. Education was not changed-, and it is television which tells us always easy to come bycertainly it was that it is 10 o'clock and ass..if we know not easily accessible to all. Some of us where our children are. worked very -hard. sometimes'against great Then, too, there is concern about drugs, odds, to acquire an education. But educa- alcoholism, teenage pregnancy, and school tion, we were told by way of motivation vandalism. Administrators point to high (and we could see its proof). could be rates of absenteeism and the lack of paren- translated into good jobs, prestige 4nd tal involyement in the schools. position. The nature of our problems is no longer Today, e sometimes wonders if educa- simple or clear. it is even difficult to say tion is -valued att. Yet educational oppor-that onc factor impacts more on the prob- tunity is of upswinv.The promise todaylem than another. But it can honestly be is that nearly everyone c. àj get an educa- said that the problems in the schools are a, tion and thereby get a "g( b." The part of the social and economic patterns of this country: 28 24% It is not my intention to whitewash our WA, need to give strength to our whole nation's schools. A part of the tesponsibil- basic skills and literacy effort. We need ity for our current concerns must be borne more programs of this natiire in secondary by the t6achers and admanistrators in our 'schools. We need better coordination with learning institutions. .--- state And locally-fundea programs. We need . But I am compelled to note that people more parent involvement In all school pro- Who work in our schools*e not vastly un-grams, including Title I add Right to Read . _ like those who woi-k as lawYerss politi- As we develop federal policy, incentives clans, government officials and other II" for that involvement should be ap intrinsic professionals. Some are indifferent and . part of any program. We needlo devote -selfservirig;-some are inept;- most work hardmore attenijon to mathematical skills and-- tp,accomplish'an honest and good job; and how to use t1tin daily life. some are extremely skillful and successful. We must also ask if we have not altered 11,am susceptible to the accountability and '''our view 9f what the role of our schools ormance standards of theif variouS should be. po we view our schools as stitueFies.ut they all need.the help keeping our children in.a holding pattern and support of arents and Community: until employment trends offer release, or , .There is,no 4uestion but that we require do we see our schools as passages and \ strong leaders in 'our schools today. Just contributory agents to the Inger society? look at the_ challenges which society has These issues must be exarniMd in the con- 'placed at the doorsteps of our schools . text of what we anticipate our future will throughout history. What other institution .bring. has been.charga with suchburdens? It is We in the administration have been as possible that we have not really failed in concerned as anyone in the country about -our schools. Might we not befloundering these vital issues. We are,giving more from the weight of all the problems which money and support for basic skills achieve- . have come ourway? Is it possible that' we ment and remediation than have been put - have expected far too much from our . thpre in the last twelve years, because we schools and then turned far too critical? cid believe that something has4o be done Consider for a moment what we ask of about improving the achievement of stu- our schools in this country. We askthem dents in this country. And we recom- * to make our children literate; to teach tbem mended to the Congress a Basic Skills and -to think; to help shape their characters: to Educational Quality Act because a major prepare them for their roles as citiiens; to priority of ours is improving the quality of provide them the skills for gainful employ- education. So if money alone could solve ment and advanced education. On top of the problem of literacy in this country, that, we ask them to tackle the problems there would be no-want of funds at the fed: of our communities and our nation. And eral level. If commitment on the part of Federal 'we make those demands to the accompani- 1,.., rnent of severely-limited resources.. agencies were the answer,. I think the prob- We need to stretch our federal dollars bylem would be solved. If the answer were indirect techniques such as replication and,commitment on the part of the State Agen- information dissemination to reach more cies that have final responsibility for the people. We could reach many more through-quality of education, I think the problem model programs for school districts to .would already have been solved. I don't odopt. In some places, this already is beingmean to say that the problem is not some- ,done. , thing for which we have responsibility; but We need to determine the best usages ofI think it is also clear that teachers carfnot testing in our ,schools, and the federal ef---.._,_,Aeach if a child is notreceptive or hates fort is"already Inoving on this issue. school, and that you 6an't teach a child if We.need to re-examine the wholg area ofthe child is not in school, and that YOu, techflical-vc;cational education in the light cari.t teach a child if the child is in,an of the current.employment piedicarnent andaltered state of mind when he or she is glutted professional markets. . in school.

29 And you certainly can't hope to change 200 years ago, we know that when iteame any of those factors without the strong tim& to form our "more_perfect union," it support of the.parents and comrRunit3c in- vas the'uniqueotirring, and profound ideas ititutions. Educators have had tWat supportand language that fired-the colonists and in many communities in the past, and they that eventilally bound' them togetheras one still have it in some communities, but they nation. ,do not have it, unfortunately, ina number What can oUr governMent do ab9ut func- ofhers, tional illiteracy today? Whatshoulitit do? nd they need all the help they can get. -Where Azio,es the responsihility lie? AU- Progress on'this issue, as on any issue, willthugh..1 strongly believe that thegovern- not be made by the creation of scapegoats.ment has a role to play, I 'also believe that- Progres demands real and creative think- it cannot, andsigouldnot, bear the entire ing about what to'do. Soon this Interna- responsibility. Surely,, we could notask, tional Literacy Day, it is altogether fitting nor wanL the Federal.government to bring and proper that we dedicate ourselves to up our children. But we do want, and theloal ofliteracy and the attainment of need, all the help it can give us, and I be- literacy, and that we support the interna- lieve that government and the private sec- tional movement to address the literacy tor can work well a`nd effectively together, crIsis hereand around the worlq. Those of. Indeed, I know it can every day that I you who agreed to serve on this.panel can walk into the national offices'of Reading is help ifs understand how the government Fundamental. Joan Mondale, who early' and the private sector can help to improveworke4 with RIF, describes RIF as "one literacy, eSpecially in this country, and of the best examples of cooperative efforts, perhaps around the world. between private citizens'and the Federal I would like to begin', if I may, with government." And we- have tried to keep it Ws. Robert S. McNamara, who is the that way. Chairman of the Board of Rading is Let me tell you a Jittle bit about 'RIF for Fundamental those who clOn't know about it. RIF is'now 12 years old, It started modestlyas a pilot MRS. McNAMARA project. A gro.up of us in Washington real- ized that mart)/ children had no access to .--Thank you, Dr. Berry. I have been asked books that would interest them, thatmany to. speak on the Tesponsibility of the Fed- did not have books in their homes, and er'al government in meetinga problem this that above ail, children werenotreading. country faces today-L-increasing functional We knew their teacher's were working hard illiteracy. Functioinal illiteracy is becoming to get ,the youngsters into books, burwe , part of the jargon', and jargon too often be--also kneW the children were resisting. We forgs meaning. So ,1 would.like to spell-out thought we could help witha motivational precisely tvhat the terms means. It means, program, one that wouldmakethe children siMply, that aiunctional illiteritecannot want to read. read a want ad, for example;cannotread How to motivate them? We decidedwe simple instructions;cannot fillout a job would let children choose, from a wideva- appli,cation; certainly,cannotread a news-riety of paperback books, the booksthey papor, a magazine, or a book for informa- wanted to read; we also decided to let the tion or for entertainment. In shortit meanschildrenkeepthe books as their. own. Ti- that for the functional illiterate, the world ngly, we knew we had to involve their vand the future are harshfrightening, tykre-parents in the activity. This was to be a warding, meager. grassroots program. One out of five-Americans over the age The pilot was so successful that it at- of 18 is functionally illiterate. That isan tracted support from foundations, individu- astonishing, depressing, an71`alarming sta- als and corporations, and the idea began to tistic in a country where 'universal educa- take hold around the country. Tenyears tion is celebrated, where so muchmoney islater, the Congress appropriated monies for spent on education, and indeed, in a coun-the Inexpensive Bobk Distribution Pro- try that has lived by the word. More Than \s gram; and yEW, through'the U.S. Office 30 of Education, contracted with Reading is with their government. There are no han- Fundamental to administer the program. douts, no charity. No one likes either. But The-Congress was' wise. It stipulated that,they do like rewards for what they pro- these werematchingfunds to buy books, duce. RIF does just that through the Inex- and that to qualify for the funds, a local . pensive Book Distribution Programand community had to meet certain criteria and'more. We have thousands of letters from had to raise its part of the money for the pa'rents wtio tell_us how their children are books goinglo its children. expanding their vocabularies; we have let- That was motivation, for today there areters from librarians who tell us circulation more than 2,300 reading motivation pro- rises when RIF is in,operation, we have grams in the 50 states, the District of Co- principal on principal, and heads of state lumbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.education departments, who write enthusi- Thus far in the 1977-78 school year, more astically urging us-to do more. Best of all, than two-and-a-half million children are we have sheaves .of letters from children choosing, for keeps, more .than 10 million saying, "Thank you for the books:' books.qhe suctess of the program, the This country was built on imagination, ghildren'senthusiastic reception, the par- improvisation and dreams. I think that the ents and teachers and principals who Wel- Reading.is Fundamental partnership with . come it, has attracted 80,000 volunteersz government is a combination of all three. men and women who give of their time, And I can 'recommend no better idea than theirenergy and their resources to make to establish. private-public partnerships reading fundamental in their coinmunities. where we all participate and we all benefit. Perhaps this is why Joan Mondale also Where we make it a way of life that the says that RIF is "a giant step in producingbooks,ithe tools for learning, are available a literate and informed citizenry for our for all children to choose andoto own. future." Thank you. But the question is: Where does the Fed- eral government tit into a private organiza- DR. BERRY tion like RIF? Well, RIF is designed to get books to children and children into books,'Thank you very much, Mrs. McNamara, into reading, into learning. Each RiF proj- for telling vs about this prominent example ect, although meeting our criteria, is differ-of a succesdul private-public sector-project. ent fromjhe other, adapting to local circumstances. There is no rigidity. Par- PARS> McN,PAARA ents, educators, librarians, businessmen, civic leaders, dub membersall work to- Dr. Berry, I never went any place,but that gether on all fgcets of the program.. They I had a bag of books. I got into an elevator raise their funds with bake safes, garage once, doing sonte fundraising in the corpo-, sales, amateur theatricals; they ask local rate world of New York, and a gentleman .merchants for help, give spatIhetti dinners,looked at me in the elevator and said, and tiave book fairs. They choose books, "You selling books?" .set up activities, organize distributions. They use imagination, and they are a zest- DR. BERRY ful, independent group of people. The government fits into thisaftereach local Actually, I am sure that, you could sell project has raised funds by matching those them. Because as I can personally attest, funds and enabling each community to buyyou are a most formidable politiikal force in more books for more children. These are maintaining support for yogr program. And not textbooks, as I am sure you kkow, butI believe that our Secretary, Joe Califano, books that will-entice the children alui bringwould agree with that too. Most formidable! them back for more. If we could now turn to another example To me this is the best of all worlds. Re- of private sector involvement and call on sponsible, enthusiastic citizens working Mr. Burke, President of McGraw Hill.

31 MR-BURKE The first questions we need to answer then are these: Thank you, Mary. I. Why, as .a country, should wp commit A popular poet of 9th century China ourselves to eliininating functional illiter- once remarked: "The world cheatsthose acy and what does this immensecommit- who cannot read." The results of illiteracy ment really involve? today remain the same. In addition, the 2. Are we willing as a Zbuntry to make world also cheats those who Will not read. this Major reallocation of priorities? I believe that the problem of functional il- My point is not that throwing money at literacy, which by latest estimate may af-. the problem will solve it, but that we must flict over 40 million people in American first decide what order of priority we give society, is compounded by the practical il- to this problem, and then what human and literacy of millions more who know how tofinancial resources are needed to achieve read but rarely do. the level of priority that we set.. A great amount of research and many in- dividually succes§ful efforts have been Recommendation No. 2 achieved in the area of literacy. While the Because of the range and complexity of Right to Read goal of eliminating functionalthe problem qf adult illiteracy, and because illiteracy by 1980 seems now incapable of in the long run it is more effective to pre- achievement, the failure is not one of ne- vent problems than to have to solve them, glect but_offailing to give such an ambi- I urge that we devote primary attention tious goal the highest national priority and and funding to.making a competent reader funding. To eliminate functional illiteracy of every student in our sch6ols. Specifi- is more difficult and probably more expen- cally, we need to increase educational Title sive than either eliminating cancer or land- funding, especially Title 1, so that new ini- ing an astronaut on the moon, and possibly tiatives can be started and old onei\main- more expensive than both.But the cost of tained. Many of the successful programs of not solving this problem may in thelong the I960s have been dropped because of run be eken greater. One necessarysolu- lack of funding, Much good research, prac- tion to the immense problems of the poor tical innovations and new materials were and the disadvantaged is to leach them to developed from Title funds, especially for read. It is an okl axiom: beginning reading. Those initiatives, which are now slowed or stopped, nevereven Give-imana fish,.feed himfor a day. reached the stage of devlopmental reading. Teach him how to fish, feed him for a Recommendation No. 3 . lifetime. The same is.true of reading: As a publisher close to.the schools, I am Teach a person to read and you will feedtroubled by sudden shifts in priorities. Ma- him for a lifetime. jor endeavors to solve difficult. problems require long and continuou's effort. Major Recommendation No. 1 changes in priorities and funding over short 1 believe the first reqiiiremft is.for the periods of time d-ode support for pro- government and its citizens to assess what grams. Not long ago, the Officeof Educa- the merits and costs of a commitment to tion wanted schools and publishers to make eliminate fOnctional illiteracy would be. If a major commitment to careereducation. taken seriously, it wilLrequire nothing less Today that commitment seems to be mired, than a reassessment of national priorities. like a stranded vessel in the mud. Mean- We need a serious, extended MI-scale as- while, there is great resentment among sessment 0,f whether tirC, us a society, those who made commitments and a loss willing to commit the resources necessary of credibility i9 government initiatives. This to a goal this ambitious. 1believe this is is only one ex ple, but the point is that our 'first and compellingpriority. If we are,priorities must b decided upon and then not willing to do this, then both our goals persevered ifo5 periods longer than (ind our strategies willbe different.

32. one Oesidentialadmi9fstration.Funding Recommendation Noe. 7 growth must be continuous and allow for Rooted dgeply in our problems of liter- more than staying even withinflation. acy ithe giowing crisis of our print culture. Over the past five years there has Recommendation NtL been a steady decline in the number of In a report to be published by McGraw- hardcover and 'paperback educational books- Hill in the spring entitled,Adult illiteracy sold, as well as in the number of hardcover in the United States: A Report to The Fordtrade books sold. The units of paid circu- Foundation,the authors make a central lated newspapers in relation'to the adult' recommendation that .I wholeheartedly population 16 years of age' and over has endorse- been on the decline since 1972. Over the 10 establish new, pluralistic, cotnmunity- past ten years, libraries have been experi- balied initiatives whose specific objective encing-a per capita decrease in circulation will'bf to serve the most disadvantaged and a lower acquisition of books. In addi- hard core poor, the bulk of whom never tion, the United States, ranks 24th in the' enroll in any existing progrwns. world in the,numberof titles produced per The essence of thi& recommendation is capita. to .get local solutions to local probleths. We Why should children value reading if the need to implement the basiC findings of thissociety in which they live doesn't seem to report. value it? The high literacy rate in Japan is often attljbuted to success of, the Japan Recommendation No. 5 Reading Association in achieving parental It seems evident to many who have involvement in children's reading. worked on the problems of adult illiteracy There is a danger that literacy in Amer- that television, the most powerful of the ica is becoming a specialist's skill. Such a media in America today, has a major and trend would ultimately erode the.basis of as yet untapped role to playin any suc- democracy which is the diffusion of knowl- cessful attack On adult illiteracy. InOn the.edge among a free people. Move,developed by the BBC, the British My last recommendation is that wecom- made massive use of TV broadcasting on a mission a group Qf informed people to as- national basis. This effort gave a focus and sess this growing crisiSof the print culture support to the many other initiatives on in America and to determine ou'r initiatives adult illiteracy that were already working .for improving the literacy rate in the United and enhanced the overall effectiveness of Siote.. the adult literacy-campaign in Great Brit- The Association of American Publishers, alb. I recommend weassess a similar initi- which I represent here today, is the major ative for the United States. voice of the book publishing industry in the United States. This_frissoCiatioh is com- Recommendation No. 6 mitted to a more active role du'ring the As 'part of any comprehensive support coming years in seeking solutions for and for literacy, we need to identify, support strategies to promote literacy. In his inau- and increase the already suCcessful pro- gural address at the AAP Argual Meeting grams. I recomme9d.here that we place in May of this year, ChairmanWinthrop priority on evaluating and supporting our Knowlton set as a major priority a determi- existing:successes over any new research. nation of how we in the book publishing Such programs as Reading is Fundamental,industry could more WeCtively use our ef- Right to Read, The American Reading forts to disseminate skills, knowledge and Council, and many others too numerous to/information to help those who need to list deserve our full support. But we need aachieve higher standards .of literacy if they %cans of evaluating their successesand to are to survive and cope. detide how best to support their efforts. In this effort we hope to involve other ff. areas of the privatesectorespecially our colleagues in the communications business. One major project we will undertake will this here assignment." I feel that way be the organization of a national Confer-. strongly. ence to be co-sponsored by the Right to On this date \ve recognize again the Read Office of the U.S. Office of Eduta- commitment of this country to an ddequate tion: The conference, in the spring of 1979,and appropriate educational opportunity for will involve edUcators, government officialsall of its peoplea commitment made in a and concerned citizens in a study of moti- ntimber of ways and througha numbpr of vation for readingwhat is now working, responsible voices at the very beginning.9f and what programs can be successfully du- our existence as a new nation.'That corn: plicated for use in local communities mitment has more and more been trans- throughout the nation. lated into deman6 that the basic result of In closing, I would like td summarizemyan appropriate educational' opportunity shall critical, underlying emphasis. be a "condition or quality of being literate. First,let's decide on our priorities. especially the ability to read and write," Second,let's commit ourselves to them defined in our dictionaries as literacy. Defi- and fund them adequately and confirm-, nitions which go-beyond that classify the ously over along period. literate person as "knowledgeable, edu- Third,let's establish a means for contin--cated, well informed, familiar with litera- uous evaluation of our efforts'. ture, learned." However, the true thrust of Thank you. the President's proclamation and the 12 year commitment of 1.1NESCO is a call for DR. BERRY adequate communication skillseffective reading and writing skills for all people. Thank you very much, Mr: Burke, for someToday, that call is reflected across America very integesting and thought-provoking rec-in the use of the word competence"the ommendations, including the one that state or quality of being capableproperly- priorities should be maintained through a -or well qualified"as a new description of shift in presidential administrations. I won-literacy as a survival skill. dered how one would go about insisting. TSb.now we commit ourselves ina more that be the case. We will assume, though, realistic way, with more understanding of that there won't be a change any time the degree and dimensions of the issue, to soon, so we don't have to worry about universal, continuotis education resulting in that, a 100% literate or competent people. I will now turn to the distinguished Su- The institution with the prime responsi- perintendent of Public Instruction for Northbility foF Making that dream possible is the Carolina, who is also the president-elect ofschool, and we must be reminded con- the Chief State School Officers Organiza- stantly that in this t ountry the school rests tion, Dr. Craig Phillips. in the hands of the people. Thus the task of advancing literacyin President Carter's DR. PHILLIPS words, "To promote literky as central to ,our efforts to improve the lives of all peo- Thank you,,Mary. You all don't know it, ple and guarantee their basic human but we've all been sitting here wondering rights"truly belongs to the people in their what order Mary would use, and I'm de- communities and to the states. It is difficult lighted that you've left Jesse for last. to fully assess the magnitude of that re- Edwin Newman intimidated all of us,as sponsibilitybut it is a clear one, and de- you )(now, and I'm sitting here on edge serves the understanding, support, and just like everybody else has been in terms commitment of all those who are a part of of saying the right thing.o I want to utterthe-decision-making process in this coun- the prayer that the youngster made when try. I am completely convinced that the re- he fell into the big barrel of molasses and spective states and territories are far more went all the way under. When he came up capable, far more willing, far better orga- it was dripping all the way around and he nized, and much more deepilti committed to said, "Lord, make my mouth wdrthy of getting the job done than ever in our his-

34 tory. With help and encouragement and collective concern about illiteracy-on the stimulation from our national leadersour shores of the world's nations. Illiteracy, national voiceour national decision-mak- spawns illiteracy; literacy spawns literacy. ersthe job can be done. Before I develop In my state's annual testing program to a brief scenario, let me back .up and make ,detefmine achievement levels of kids in 'three basic points. grades I, 2; 3. 6, 9 nd I I, we have found Firstwhile literacy refers tb the ability that the two factors which.most influence to read and write, oracy (a 'term coined byscores on standardized tests, a measureof the British educator Andrew Wilkinson) re-the degree of literacy in children, are fam- fers to the ability to 'speak and listen, Bothily income and educational level of par- research and common sense suggest that ents. The sociological-and econoinicfactOrs successfully teaching kids to read,and writethat bear on the issue of literacy are le- depends upon whether adequate attention gion. Jobs providing incomes above the has been paid to oral laftguage develop- poverty level, continuing education pro- ment. Speaking and listening are language grams for adults, a renewal of valuing the processes which create the very foundationprinted page over electronic forms of corn- on -which reading and writing are built. In -munication, society's greater willingness to our efforts to help all kids read, we must provide "payoffs" Or revarjs for reading not forget how it is done. Each language and writing abilityall df these are crucial process depends upon the other. Class- to winning the battle against illiteracy in room instruction simply must be'predicateddeveloped nations, not to mention develop- on this philosophical pre,mise. ing nations. Secondwhile embracing as a value the Schools need help. This conference is a goal of eliminating illiteracy in the world, testimony to the willingness of many able we must not forget the uniqueness of indi- and resourceful people to offer that help. viduals. The ability to read, for example, is North Carolina is one of thosenewly a relative matter. gvery communication committed states with neVly strengthened, skill is a meaning-making process, and capabilities. What I will describe briefly meaning-making is soliething Which indi- not unique to North Carolina. It is bEisi- viduals do at various levels of sophistica- cally true for most or all of the states in tion..lt was this observation that the varying degrees 1.-trid emphasisthe evi- German poet-philosopher Goethe had in dence is out there. mind when he saict in his sixties that he We do have a plan. We do know,where was still learning fb read. Acquiring the we are, where we want to go, how we in- ability to read, tu, write, to speajc to tend to get there, what,our priorities are .listen .. ever, tothink, the greatest of all and how we shall evaluate our progress. gifts to hum'ankind . is a life-long devel-The governor of our state has,genuinely opmental- process. It only begins in school.committed himself and his state to the Thirdthe elimination of illiteracy in theachievement of the highest possible level worldindeed.,in my state of North Caro-of-literacy. A lay State-Board of Educa- lina and in the states and territories of my tion, our General Assembly, local govern- tilyleagues, .56 other chief state school offi- mental bodies, county commissioners and cersrequires a team effort, an effort by local boards of educationthe decision- people of all races, cultures and socioeco- making structure of a statehas literally nomit baCkgrounds, using their institutionsrolled up its sleeves and developed plans to meet the thallenge of a common prob- for successful response to that 100% ex- lem. As the British clergyman-poet John pectancy of which I spoke earlier. There Donne pot it centures ago, "If a pebble be is, along with the clear recognition of defi- washed away by the sea, then Europe is ciencies, needs, and challenges unmet, an the less.. .Every man's death diminishesaffnosphere for achievementa sense of me; therefore, send not to ask for whom the possiblea conviction that it can be the bell tools. It tolls for thee." Our con- donein the air everywhere. That's the cern about illiteracy in North Carolina is first ingredient. Let me quickly list some ot but a grain of sand compared to our larger the others:

.15 A full commitment to early, effective in- tality and support of parents and citizens. tervention in the educational life of each as directly involved.participants in the edu- child; a fully state-supported kindergarten cational process.' program for 97% of our five-yearlolds; a A full set of adult basic education op- primary reading program which will be fullyportunities in a 57 unit commutiity college/ .supported statewide by the end of next technical institute system; extended day year for 6, 7, and 8 year olds-400,000 programs in the secondary schools; use of youngsters K-3; one trained staff member special CETA programs geared to'kids with forteach 13 or feWer children; vast im-' special remediation needs; and other types provements in instructional materialS and of special effort. tools; continuing support for ongoing staff All the above and some other scattered training; a structured volunteer program. elements make up North Carolina's bur- which creates an environment of iridivi- geoning "educational jigsaw puzzle," which dualized ,education for every young child inis beginning to take clarity of form and North Carolina. fuller meaning-for each individual child and A commitment by law and by dollar adult in our state. All of that puzzle in its support to full funding for exceptional chil-ultimate form pertains in one way or an- dren in North Carolinaretarded, learning other to the search for individual literacy. disabled, emotionally disturbed. physically We are on our wayother states are on handicapped, gifted and talented; $75 mil- their waythis nation is on the way. We lion specially allocated state funds above have some answers, but we have more and beyond general supPort for' 150,000 questions. Perhaps we do not even know identified youngsters with special needs, cull the questions. Undeniably, in a world and final provisions for approximately 50,- where print is a nearly universal value, lit- 000 more coming in the.next two years. eracy is a human right. And perhaps the Significant increases in allotted profes,./- most basic of basics that we must get back sional and support personnel in our schools,toif we ever left itis to enable people with a foreseeable state-targeted goal in theto assert their human rights. next 5 years of one full teaching position My favorite poem about kids has to do for every 23 students, plus all other sup- with dreams: -Wc dream great dreams for port positions in media service, counseling,our children . . :but only theough our deeds administration, psychology,:social services,do our dreams come true." I think that's etc. This reflects a realistic goal of I per- the key to what we are doing. Thank you. son emploYed for each 10 or feyver students. DR. BERRY A mandated statewide testing,program in reading and mathematics in grades 1, 2, Thank you very much, Dr. Phillips, for 3, 6, and 9, and a mandated minimum com-those inspiring words. I asked the Rever- petency test in reading and mathematics at end Jesse Jackson, the national President the llth grade level, of Operation Push, to speak last, because I A remediation program of approximately-thought he was in a particularly good posi- $9 million, specifically earmarked for the tion to provide evidence of the Biblical estimated 16 to 20,000 urluccessful 1 1th pronouncement that the last shall be first. grade students, and a long-range program Or in any case that he might provide some over the next six years tafgeted at reme- evidence of the pronouncement that the diation for kids in trouble from 7 to 12. meek shall inherit the Earth. In either Redirection of Title I compensitory case, we will turn to Reverend Jesse Jack- funds to our middle grades as remediation son. Thank you. for 10, 11, and 1.2 yeai,olds as they begin to fairtoward that bottomless pit. 4* A state-funded community school program$3 million seed money this year and more to cometo capture the strength, vi-

36 REV. ACK SON educators or administratorsplaYiracial ,games in that way they are lesslikely to be Thank you very much, Dr. Berry, panel- heard. So we need vessels who can convey ists, and those of you present. this information. First, I want to thank President Carter, We must also accept the prernise.that Secretary Califano, Commissioner Boyer, the first step in public schools across the Dr. Berry, and others for pulling this to- country to restore order and a sense of gether, In my judgment this is moving fromself-discipline. The Gallup Poll last week- a human rights policywhich advocates indicated that people perceive discipline as - good th a human rights policy which is a the number one problem in public schools. step beYond advocacydoing something It is interesting t.hat in rating such issues as about it. financial woes and desegregation they My role, as runderstand it, is to close placed parental detachment last:Perhaps .the communication gap between the liter- that reflected the role that parents need to ate arid the illiterate. I say'thatbecause I play. and can play in modern society, but it want Ed to know that he ain'tgoin to in- also'suggests a profound feeling of impo- timidate me! Not today. If l'alliteraN sometence when people consider themselves as illiteracy he should obliterate it.. .and parentsa sense of being unable to do move on. something about the situation. The fact.of A% I listen to these assessments of "whatthe matter is that this massive detachment next," I want to bring some of our experi-of parents is the number one problem. Par- ences in the field to bear onthis discus- ents represent the foimdation of theeduca- sion. First, it is difficult for people tp fight tional processthe place from which it function'al illiteracy if they are fun tionaflyoriginates. So our perception of the rela- 'immoral. Functionally irresponsible Func-tionship between problem and solution, in tionally uncaring. Teachers and parezts andmy opinion, has to change. government officials must be functially- This is are reason the question of moral moral to be vessels or conduits worthy of - authority becomes so fundamental reiative bearing, a message so challenging as the to the problem of discipline. If oneis a need to move from illiteracy to-literacy. moral authority who is believable and Truth, like electricity, needs a'conduit. trusted, when one demands discipline it is An awful lot of power is carried in a con- perceived as therapy and responded to. If duit, and if a conduit has loose wires'noth-one is not a moralauthority and demands ing will happen, if it has frayed endings discipline, it is perceived as punishment nothing will happen,.and if its wires are ex.7and reacted to. Both therapy and punish- posed nothing will happen. So if those whoment invblve pain. The differenceis per- are to convey this messagehave exposed ception. When the football coach-says, wires.,of roce or wires of indifference, they"Run two miles past the point of exhaus- will be unable to communicatemot be- tion and play even when you are hurt," as cause they do not haveinformation, but preparation for something worthwhile, his because they do not have the moral wher- moral authority is able to go beyond all of 'ewithall to convey that. informatiom We the little things that ordinarily interfere with need inspired vessels who can see beyond the process of education. the restrictions of legalism and materialism The beginning of our moral authority in to convey this message. In otherwords. the schools is the premise that our children we need the will to teach allchildren. can learn. One of the rudeawakenings that Today Chicago public schools are trau- I experienced once we began to delve more matized over the question of race. White deeply into education is that it is a matter parents are picketing severalschools into of debate in many places as to whatchil- which blacks arc to'exT)and. We have ade-dren can learn. Many people teach and segregation plan which does not meet statedon't believe that black children, or brown or HEW guidelines-yetfour years later it children, or Indian children, or poor chil- is still being funded. That's functionally dren, or southernchildren can learn. To immoral, functionally irresponsible7 When believe that children can learn, and to overcome the cynical and pessimistic argu-ply with state and HEW guidelines, deseg- ments to the contrary, is a major hurdle forregate the schools, remove racial trauma as the conveyor of information to clear. a primary issue, and fight illiteracy. It made Qur second premise is that our children the headlines all over the state of Louisi- ought to learn, h is the moral thing to do. Andanaa commitment to 'fight illiteracy. thirdly, that they must learn. It is imperative That's Louisiana, that's that La.the for the oppresSedreading is revolutionary.other L. A. is making headfines fighting the Yo cannot,hold the people down any lowerlaw. No matter what programmatic image than you hold their minds. Los Angeles projects, its preoccupation is It has also been our assessment that the with the b's, as I put.it. The blacks, 'the problem fundamentally is not one of lack browns, the busses, the budgets, and the of genes. It is one of lack of an agenda. buildings. At best it might achieve some Therefore, it iS not a natural disorder, it is balance of the b's. It has no energy left to a social disorder: Thus we are responsible- deal with the a'sattendance, atmosphere, and can do something about it. We do bestattitudes, attention,,andachievement. It is what we do most. And'we're losing the not preoccupied with fighting illiteracy. competitionfor the minds of our children. -ThaCs in its proposals,- but that is not in We must again assess the, problem and reality its conduct. There aresome primary the role of school in relationship to the in- 'external impediments in,judgment... N adequate number of TV and radio execu- We must be willing to fight, if we ,are tives here today. Perhaps we are still going to fight illiteracy. Because those of victimized by "future shock," Maybe it us who want people to become literate has not occurred to us yet, in all of its must be vessels people will hear and re- glory that this is the first generation that spond to, not merely react to. Racial by age fifteen has seen eighteen thousand' trauma is still the number one impediment hours,of TVaveraging better than three to excellence in American education. We hours and forty-eight minutes a night: still have too many officials in education Compared to eleven thousand hours of who continue to float with the law. Andas school, assuming no strikesbad assump- our schools lose community prestige,they tionand less than three thousand hours become vulnerable to the forces and the of the church or specific moral character foils of education which therefore fundus development. This is the first generation inadequately and unequally. that by age twenty has engaged in only one And so in the basic urban school..te activity more than watch TVsleep. And visit, we find that our Childrenare victims in this extreme competition for the minds of mass media diversion on one hand, and of our children, the extreme power of the sociat and moral decay on the other,.I'm mass media requires a radical redistribu-- talking about values that lend themselves tion of responsibility. Media executives to a rise in violencemass media diver- cannot miss a meeting like this when they sion, moral and social decay, and massive are the primary transmitters of folkways parental detachment. and mores and priorities in our culture. That brings me to my last point. Aswe The teacher is not the primary transmitter struggle to open the doors of opportunity of information. It is not to some professor and by that I mean desegregated educa- up in some eastern school that we now tionthere is another side to the dialectic. look for great words of wisdom, if you 'There are internal impediments to excel-, will, it is to the Cronkites and Eric Sevar- lence. All of our children, no matter what eids and Ed Newmans of the world. their condition or previous condition,must I wasi Louisiana two weeks ago, with accept the fact that effbrt must exceed op- a cross-section of about six hundred pei)- portunity for change to take place. Basic pleministers of afl faiths, business lead- effort. Effort. Our children are notso dumb ers., community leaders, and educational that they will not learn if they study. On leaderswho made the collective decision the other hand, no matter what the histori- to move beyond the historical debate of cal circumstance is or was, they willnever races and faces. They were going to corn- learn unless they do study.

38 'There is a fundamental question.of ef- DISCUSSION fort. We are arriving at fantastic athletic I. achievem nt levels because we average three hou s a day after school, practicing EDWIN NEWMAN without rt dio, television, telephone or social visitaon. If we spend the same amountOf the 'many interesting questions that have of energy developing cognitive skills as webeen sent up, one dealt directly with the spend on motor skills, we will become as point that Jesse was making at the end. 'proficient in reading and reasoning, writingThe President's Basic Skills and Educational and counting, as we are in jurnping, run- Quality Act has called fora ctoser partnership ning, and skipping. That is a question of with parents. How can`illiterate parents be priority and effortnot,a question even ofpartners? This was directed to you, Dr. availability of money or opportunity. We Berry, but all members should feel.free to must organize, in my judgment, a resist- comment on it. ance movement against mass media diversion, moral decay and parental.detachment, DR. BERRY In Chicago, in Kansas City and in Los Angeles this year, PUSH is organizing a There are a number of ways that they can parenting movement. We hope to broaden be partners-They can instill in theirphil- it around the nation. We are asking parentsdreil the importanCe of education and edu- to do five things. One, to sign a pledge th,atcational achievement. In the community they wjll rededicate themselves to relating from which l'come, parents who are illiter- to their child and that child's future.. And ate themselves often do a great deal to many parents don't want to make that make their children understand the impor- much of a commitment. And that's basic.. tance of education. The key is the moti- Second, that they will go to the school, andvation that the parents can' give. Alsp, exchInge home numbers with their chilcra parents can read to children, an activity teachEr. Third, that they will monitor studywhich we recognize as important from all hours at least two hours a nightwith ra- available educational research. Parents who dio arid TV off. Fourth, that they' will go todo not even read themselves cansuse the school and pick up,teport cards four teaching and reading machines in order to times a ,16-1). And last, that they will go to read to their children. There are ways of .the Board'L-of Education and pick up their doing these thingsand in the legislation child's test scores. So we will not complainyou refer tot.there is a provisionfeil fund- in the twelfth grade that the child is reading teaching materials and equipment so ing at the seventh grade level. We ought tothat parents will be able to. help their chil- .know in the eighth grade that the child is dren with this problem. reading at the seventh 'grade level. irs Thank you very much. JESSE JACKSON

DR. BERRY A parent does not have to be able to read to be practically literate. Parents can care Thank you very much, Reverend Jackson. and chastise and show interest without Let me just say that we in HEW have so being able to read or write at all. More- much confidence in your approach that over there can be a partnership between we've been giving it some support from theparent and teacher. Often., if the parent tax dollars. We hope that it goes a long tvould give support and chastise and care, way to improving literacy in this country. teachers: would have the time to transmit I now turn the program back over to Mr,skills, bpcause they wouldn't have to spend Newman. time fighting for students' attention. I raise this point of practical literacy because my grandmother could not and can not rea write. But she took the responsibility to iiakc me either pretend I was

39 trying to overcome that or fall asleep at it. were ,sufficiently organized so that we could Before 1 gdt to school my grandmother respond when his motives were accused of had taught me sky, sun, moon, stars, dog, being racist. Collectively we had decided cat,4water, flowers. I knew most of what I that emotioinal reactions were against our know about the whole worldit was a best interests. In this situation,lests were matter of the school's embellishing,it. I sayused to close-a gap, not to close down that, Dr. Berry, because we cannot extendblack colleges, eliminate black teachers, barriers that give parents a sense of inade- and develop a way of sending us to jail quacy, when they are so much more ade- While somebody else goes to college. Again, quate even now than we give them credit I am concerned-that we fight for literacy for being. tests, and fight for competency tests. But those who give them must know' that there EDWIN NEWMAN are mines out theremines that will blow up unless a collective effort is made. What role can competency tests play in the struggle to achi&e universal literacy in this'DR. BERRY country? Dr. Phillips. Opr official position is that we support the use of competency tests by local jurisdic- 'DR. PHILLIPS tions if they choose to use them, and will provide advice, technical assistance, and Well, a very quik response. I think that funding for that. However, we have 'neither competency tesq have put the focus on the power, the'interest, or the authority to some of the things that many'may have insist that anyone use such testis.. known and talkeid about and.described and the focus is jiow producing results:If EDWINNEWMAN we are .genuinely!willing to respond to the, evidence with not just dollars, but with the', Lam/going to paraphrase a question which kind of commitment we were talking about,`was'written down, According to this clues- tken the new co 'petency tests will pay offtion literacy'is defined primarily asineading fOr us, But we m st have that serious corn-and the ability to read and write. The ques- mitment behind urather than use the tion went on to ask, more specifically, why tests in a negative way. we stop helping children develop a capacity to speak and listen, JESSE JACKSON Do we, in fact, discourage the ability to speak and listen when we begin to teach There are sc4rtlalfears in the black children to read and write? community about jthose testsreal para- noia abdut itbeeause we've had some DR. PHILLIPS bad experiences With tests historically. At one time they use'd blood tests not to makeFor materials and curriculum cjiange,in the us healthy, but to:disenfranchise us. Then schools, the two have increasingly gone to- they used literacy; tests to keep us from gether. In developing early reading skills, voting. So bkack People tend to see compe-oral vocabulary is the key to the ability to tency tests as a way to delete and destroy,decode the printed vocabulary. I think if not to develop and to expand. The politics you study the trend ci curriculum change of the testing, returning to the question of over the last ten yeari, it can be demon- moral authority, is that the tester has to bestrated, in textbooks for example, that the a trusted person. amount of attention to speaking and listen- This past summer, an administrator in ing right from early learning through high Chicago, based upon some community sup-school has increased very significantly. port, said that one thousand children would not be promoted to the eighth grade because they could not read adequately. We

40 EDWIN NE MAN grams placedSOmud; stiess on standardized pre-test and post-test scores, andwhat I will pur-tis question to you, Mr.Burke. alternatives are being used or oiight to be What respnsibility do publishers have to used in federal guidelines? incorporatenew ihsightS fromresearch and, innovativeeracy programs in published/DR'; BERRY materials?hy do they all advertiw how ed" they are? I think thesehave been emphasizedbe- "old fashio cause they are the onlymeaSures that anyone could think of todetermine how funds MR, BURKE could be allocated at the time. If onecould I haven't se n any ads like that lately.The find'a reliable substitu.te,'we wouldbe will- publisher's rsponsibility on literacy and ing to look at it. I don't know ifthe ques- tIon implies that it is somehow wrong to on researchis a very strong one, and one Closely, with the universi- use this approach. Butthe reason for the we handle yery practice is that it seemed to be an appro- ties. We aq just in ,the process ofsetting 1 up centers -vith avariety of universities priate way to make the allocations. around thetcountry to doincreasing amounts of research on oralvocabulary, EDWIN NEWMAN 'on testinglandmaterials, and on the.rela- nship of research to learning. For exam-Well, we thank the panel very, very much. question...6f 'And we thank .the audience. Dr. Berry, do pleA, we are looking into the you have somethingelse to say about this? hoW-efifldren learn best in terms of type, v legibility, what kinds of illustrationsthe DR. BERRY . children learn best from,'and whatcombi- nations a illustrations andthe'Primed word they learn best from. Sother'e is a close re-I promised someone out therethat, even if, lationship betweenseArchiand textbooks.I got' no question abRut it, I wouldspeak We are constantly mg, to'bringin new of the literacy probleas ierelates to insights as quickly Ossibk', women. Some-sixty pe centof the world's The problem is often one of change. illiterates identified by IESCO today are HoW fast can you accommodate?What ,womerr, Moreover,ate n ber of females, kind Of teacher trainingnee& to go on to and.the proportion of fa,, s who areillit- create curriculum change atthe same time?erate, is inceeasiritThk s ould be taketr With regard just to the last poink,J,clon'tinto account' whkn onelis.trying to ascer- think publishers advertise. thatthey:fi'old- tain:whatk,Lizif programs to offer. fashioned. In fact, one df thethings.:4,:qe 4r.)..1' often complain about isLt*tAewtdokt are,..,,I;EDWIN NEWMAN adopted slowly in the school's'. Some, schools are using books that aretwehty or llesse? -thirty years old. If they don'tchange-books, the books will be perceived to beold-fash- JESSE JACKSON ioned. People will come and complain very for being often to publiShers that we have notdone We have been jiving at you today so word-conscious,but that has forced me .the full job of recognizing the rolesof the concept of oral wornin in our textbooks, orshowing the to think seriously about When/we tradition. We transmit a lot throughoral right roles for minority groups. tradition. Historically, there has been look into that, however, wenormally find fifteen years old. alongside it a written or literatetradition. "that they're using a book Now we are competing with avisual tradition"I saw it and I heard it andI remem- EDWIN NEWMAN bered it,." as a kind, of substitutefor writing it or r.ef)eating it.. think we had bettermake this one the there was last question. Why have government pro- hen I was in formal school

41 IT almost a deemphasis on the significance of International Panel speaking words eloquently. Yet there isa tradition of teachers who held students Dr. James Grant, President, Overseas captive because they transmittedso much Developrhent Council of the tradition through oration. 4isa teacher with style..Teachers tookgreat Mr, Akillu I:labte, Director, Education DePartment, pride in being inspiring lecturers: Now The World Bank it's almost as if, there'ssome conflict between- stimulation and cognition: If you're Dr. Seth Spaulding, Depar%nent of International eloquent it is because you are somehow Education, University of Pittsburgh,, superficial and if you're putting peopleto sleep it's 'cause you're heavy. Dr..Dor'othy Strickland, resident,Inte national Reading Association EDWIN NEWMAN 40, Moderator Arid .of that, there isno danger. David Bronheim, Assistant Administrator, If 'the audience will hold still for one Intergovwmenfal and International Affairs, minute, there is a question here directedtoAgency for International Development Dr, Berry. Dr/Berry, howcan we in the United States learn from othersmore successful than we on how to deal with adult MR. BRONHEIM literacy? It is indeed w'verygreat privilege forme to DR. BERRY appear with suCh a 'distinguished and dedicated group of people. Lwould-liketo apol- The last time I made a statementon how ogizeI am not a teacher,a scholar, or a we could learn something from people in linguist, not evert a-grammarian. So Iam a-- another country, it happened to be the little bit wary of myown eloquence on a People's,Republic of Chino. I spent the subject of this importance. Basically, Ienvy next three weeks explaining that I was a .those whose lives can brightened by the good American and belie;led in the quality laughter of the literary lunacy that often af- of our education. So 1 gueSs I'd betternot flicts both government.and businesk. answer that question. My job, however, is different. M;''job is F to think and worry about a problem from EDWIN NEWMAN 7----which there is no' lattghtercoming and no festive air. I carry with(me ayision of Thaayou all. hundreds of minions of people whocannot 4 read or write. Who may fail,even by their own standards, regardless of how haid they work awl how hard they try. And the vision is bad enough whenyou think of them as adults, but Iam haunted by the millions of children who willnot read or writein the comingyears. Not just in the few years ahead, but in all ofour forecasts going out to the end of thede- cade, hundreds of millions of people will still be without the ability to reador write when rhe century ends. Those of us who are in the development business, if you will, worry about whether we 'can change this, worry about'how the development, process is affected by it, how you decide where limitedresources of

42 money and people are spent, 'what mix of ingliteracy .as a rough surrogate for educa- things provide literacythe mix of jobs, tion, what progress has been achieved over rural development, housing, education, an the past three dec.ades, and what are the population. And we carry this as 'a very .prospects for progress toward universal lit- heavy burden. eracy by, the end of this century? I could sit here and cite impressive-ski- The past 30 years have witnessed un- tistics about what my agency does in th .precedented improvements in'inaterial well- development business with the hundreds ofbeingincluding literacy. A smaller propor- millions of dollars that are being spent on tion of the World is illiterateand htrngry-r educationthe nurnters of people, the in- than ever before. Literacy in India has institutions that we work withbut I would ereased from 24 to jf. percent between. rather remind you.of that mysterious magic1960 and 1974; world literacy now stands that transforms a child when he learns to at 62 percent. But we should not take too read and write. The light that occurs when Much satisfaction from these indications of the limited borders of his knowledge fait progress. While the percentages have de: away and open vast new areas of learning creased as a proportion of the world's and pleasure. growing population; the' absolute numbers I cannot accept the notion that hundredsof those illiterate, hungry, an&-malnour- of millions of people will contipue, to be ished have increased. Omitting China, the deprived of this opportunity in the years number of illiterates has increased from ahead. I know you don't acceix it and I 500 million to. some 800 pillion in the mid can assure you that your governmmAoes 1970s, and the. World Bank projects that il- nOt. Somehow all of us must-find a way to literacy will increase to some 865 million change the dismal forecast that sentence's by 1985. Even assuming that literacy in millions of other human beings to' more China has risen significantly to; say, 60 generations of intellectual darkness. We percent, the world right now has approxi- from the most powerful country in the mately 1 billion people who'do -not have world cannot commit ourselves to less. the essential basic skill to 'read and write! Perhaps today's session, my fellow panel- As we all knpw, literacy is not justA ists, will help in finding solutions to this problem in developing countries: There is .prdblem. growing concern about the extent of fun,- I guess we should go down the table in tional illiteracy in the United States. But orders so I w 11 call on Jim Grant first. our principal concern thisafternoonon' International Literacy Dayis with the in- MR. GRANT creasing Rumbers in the developing coun tries who lack the basic capabilities to In 1948 the United Nations 'first spoke èf. participate in the benefits of economic education 'as one of the human rights.*Us- progress..

World Literacy Statietics tor 1978 and 2000 (st.) Table 1

Weighted 1978 2000 Current Y ar 2000 Region Literacy Adults Pop. Pop. Illiterats tilltsrates

(%) %) Africa 23.7 56 436 013 186.3 347:4 Asia , 52.1 62 4 2,.433 3,656 722.6 1,085.8 Latin Am. 72.1, 58 344 . 600 55.5 97.7 Europe 97.2 76 480 538 10.2 11.4

World 62.5 64 4,219 6,233 1,012.6 1,495.9

43 Proposals foi Reversthg Trend most industtized nations and the poorer 'countries on several key social indicators Will this upward trend toward even largersuch as literacy, by the enti,of.the century. numbers of pfiterate, hungry and malnour- This concept of halving the disparities ished.peopleiDe decisively reversed in the would mean ark increase, for example, in near future? Projection of past trends wouldIndia's literacy, rate from its present 34 lead to the conclusion "no." But two re: percent to approximatelY67 percent by the. cent circumstances hold out the.prospect year 2000. India's jilitetacy -would be re- of a reversal, .6-ssibly seven a dramatic reduced by about Wpercent annually, Ex- versal, of pa.1wvio4 nds. pressed differently, this 34 percern is the The first ofese is reflected irpthis rate of reduction in the disparjty separating year's foreign aid act2The Congress of the India's present performance and the beit United States has included a new.provisionpossible performance of 3ny country, which which says, in part: is zero illiteracy:* This dparity reductiOn rate, or DRR, is a useful tool for assessing .the-Congress, recognizing thesdesir--a country's performancesover time, ability of overcoming the worst aspects Thus the Amsterdam Declaration goals of absolute poverty bythe end of this could act as a set of targets for all couh- century by ampng other things .,.in- tries in their literacy efforts. If every coun- creasing litera4 encdurages the try in the world were to achieve the 34 President to explore with other coun- percent rate in reducing its illiteracy, and tries, through all appropriate channels, thereby meet the target of the Amsterdam the feasibility Qf a worldwide coopera- Declaration, then the work, literacy rate tive effort to overcome the worst aspectswould climb from 62 percent to 81 percent of absolute poverty a/id to assure self-re-and'the present.literacy rate in the devel- liant growth in the developing countries oping countrieS of 47 3 percent would rise by the year 2009. dramatically to 732 percent. Such an effort would reduce the absoline number of This concept of seeking to overcome the illiterates in the world from the present worst aspects of absolute povertyof level of over I billion to about 850 million. whith illiteracy is one manifestationwithinAttainment of the 75 percent "floor" sug- a given time, frame is receiving increasinglygested in the RIO report would reduce the serious consideration. The idea of encour- number still further, to about 765 million il- aging international efforts to\meet the literates, even though the nurniter of adults world'sliteracy needs within a relatively will have increased to 4 billion bY the year short period of time, as an integral part of 2400 from 23 billion.today. a more comprehensive effort, iurfaced'toward,the end of 1976 in a mai& report prepared under the direction of Jan Tmbergen. Literacy Under Different Scenarios for. the Club of Rome entitled Rrshaping. Table 2 the Internatiomd Order (RIO). The RIO re- Weighted Amsterdam 'RIO port set minimum national end-of-the-cen- Region literacy Target Target Together tury targets for such fundamental social characteristics as life expectancy, infint World mortality, literacy and birth ratq. The lit- 1978 62.5 78.6 80. 80.8 eracy target was 75 percent as a year 2000 2000 57.2 "floor" for each country. . - The time target was also endor,sed 14 the LOCs 19M 47.3 Amsterdam Symposium on Foo(tand Basic 2000 46.5 73.2 75.5 76.0 Needs eagier this year. The Amsterdam Declaration calls for incrfrased development cooperation aimed at doubling food production and per capita income, and halving the present disparities between the

44 75.percent. Its DRR, for the past 15 years The Absolute mber of has ,been only 1.1'percent. Guinea-Bissau, Illiterates ln World (millIons)Table 3 with the worst literacy rate in the world of Year 2000 1.percent, )Would require a DRR of *No. ot Amsterdam Year 2000 cent over the next 22 years to achieve a lit- Regionilliterates Target RIO TargetTogether eracy rate of 75. . It is noteWorthy that some countrieS-have Work' reduced their illiteracy at rates of more' 1978 *012.6 853.7 . 789.8 765.9 2000 1,707.3 than 5.0.percent annually for 10 years and , more. Betvfeen 1960'and1974, South KO- LOCs rea reduced its illiteracy at a rate of 8.2 2000 1,675 839.1 767.1 751.5 percent and Hong Kong at 6.9 percent; Taiwan at 6.1 percent, Tanzania at 5.2 percent and Singapore at 5 percent. Tanzania Clearly the goal of "breaking the back ofwith its intensive adult and primary educa-, illiteracy" by the.end of the century de:- tion program, may. have achieved an un- serve-s increased international support. Butereoedemed 10 percent annual reduction in are these goals feasible? Can individual\ its illiterates since 1967. Countries really attain the necessary (evel In all of these countries the above-aver- of performance?. age rates of progessln advancing literacy were Raralleled by high rates of progress in How Feasible Are These Year 2000 Goals? improving the overall wellbeing of their poor majorityas rneksured by increasesin Although good historicalv statistics ate life expectancy and infant mortalitythat scarce for most developing cbuntries, it is were well above, the average for other clear that illiteracy can greatly improve countges in their income class. The follow- only as ,an integral part of a broader devel-ing two case historieSof Sri Lanka and opment effort. Equally clear is that severalTaiwan illustrate somewhat different pat- countries have achieved quite rapid rates terns of good progress in literaCy, as well of progress despite the slow progress in as how slistained, major advances in liter- mq,st poor countries. But can these acy are achieved only in association, with achievements be duplicated?' comprehensive progress which makes bier- The World Bank Report cited earlier acy functio..nal for the majority of the notes that literacy in the low-income-coun-population. tries has climbed frogi 10 to,23 percent between 1960 and 1974, reducing illiteracy' Two Case Histories and the gap with the most advanced countries by 1...2 percent annuallya DRR of Sri Lanka, a poor country even by Asian 1.2 percent. Literacy in the middle-income standards, has had a long commitment -to countries has climbed much more slowly, the belief that education is essendal to de- from 61 to 63 percent, Tor a reduction in il-velopment progress. Between 1946 and 1971 literacy of just .4 percent annually. literacy increased from 57.8 percent to 78.1 Low-income countries as a group 011 percent, a disparity reduction rate of 2.5 need, therefore, to more than double rates pement annually. Sri Lanka has slatistics at which they are reducing illiteracy, from going back to the late 19th century: a DRR of 1.4 percent to 34 percent, and Taiwan in the post revolutionary period most will need to reduce their number of faced a tremendous task of social. moderni- illiterates even fasterif they are to reach zation. Between 1946 and 1976, literacy the RIO fkoal of fewer than 25 percent 'illit- rose.fronr 45 percent to 88.percent. As the erates. Inclia, for example, with a literacy following chart shows, progress in literacy rate of 34 percent today, would need to re-was an integral part ef a comprehensive duce the number of its illiterates by 4.3 development experience in which Taiwan percent annually, a DRR of 4.3 percent, to progressed-rapidly on other fronts as well. raise its literacy rate to the RIO "floor" of

45 Development Statistics for Sri Lanka-Table 4

Lite Expectancy infant Literacy at Age 1 Mortality POLO* PIN Cai:litil Ann. . Ann. 11,000) ,Ann. Index Ann, GNP ' literate DAR (Yrs.) DRR . birtOs DAR Number DRR GrOwth Rate

1881 17.4 -- 1891 21.7 0.5% _ -- - 1901 26.4 0.6% 170 - 1911 31.0 0.6% -- 218 2.6% -- 1921 39.9 1,4% 37.9 - 192 1.3% 18.9 - 1946 37,8 1.4% 48.5 1.3% 141 1.3% 41.5 1.3% 1953 65,4 2.8% 60.0 7.1% 71 10.0% 64,3 6.8% 1963 71.6 2,0% 64.8'..- ,3.3% 56 2.6% 72.8 2.7% 0.3

1971 78.1 32% 67.4 3.0% 43 3.8% 79.0. 3.2% 1.6 1921-71 2.0% .- 2.8% - 3.2% 2:7%

Source: Based on data from.Population Problems of Sri Linke (Colombo, Sri Lanka: Demographic Training and Re- search Institute, 1976),

Development Statistics for Taiwan-Table 5

*Lite Expectancy. Infant Per Capita Literacy at Aga `1 Mortality POLl GNP (%) Ann. Ann. (/1,000) Ann. Index Ann. Growth literate DAR (Yrs.) DRR births DRR Nomber DRR' Rate%

Hist,' 45.0 - 49,9 _ 155.4 - 35 - 1950 56.0 5.4% 55.6 1.93N, 35.2 8.4% 62.6 - 1955 62.1 2.9% 64.4 10.1% 44.8 -6.0%, 70.9 4.8% 3.0 1960 72.9 6.5% 65.7 2.2% 35.0 5.8% 77.1 4,7% 3.5 1965 76.9 3.1% 67.9 4.2% 24.1 9.4% 81.9 4.6% 6.5 1970 85.3 8.6% 68.8 2.1% 16.9 10.4% 86.0 5.8% 4.8 1976 87.9 , 3.2% 71.0 5.1% 10.1 20.7% 90.4 5.4% 5.0 Hist. to 1976 4.9% 3.8% 8.2% 5.1% 4.0

The historical figures are from yAktious year : life expectancy at age 1-1836, infant monaity-1831, and literacy- 1946.

'The Physical Quality of Life Index (POLI) lean equally weighted composite index on the scale of 0-100 based on life expectancy at age I. infant mortality and literacy.

A t

46 India's Massive PrUposed Program the will to do so at both national and international decision-making levels. For coun- What are the prospects in India,,wb ch tries witfi the lowest literacy ratings, an has the largest number of illiterates in the illiteracy reduction rate of 4 to 6 percent or world, and where nearly two-thirds of the better will be required to attain the RIO population cannot read or write? This is -floor" targets: This will be even more dif- the second major recent hopeful develop- ficult, but, empirical experience suggests, ment The .news is so dramatic that many still not impossible. may not take it seriously: CmPctober 2nd, These examples suggest that with suffi- Gandhi's birthday, the Indian-Government cient international and national attention to is launching its Revised Minimum Needs measures such as literacy, significant prbg- Program, Which calls over the next ten ress can be achievedbut it will not be years for,school attendance for all childreneasy. ages 6-14 and for a reduction in illiteracy The Indian experiment in particular by 100 million. Most of-thcadult literacy would appear to warrant increasest interba- effort is targeted for the next 5 years at a tional attention. On the basis of Ihe histori- cost of over $200 million, a more than ten- cal record, India's prospects.for success in fold increase. It will not be easy, since theachieving its litericy goals appear most un- literacy effort, to be successful, will need likely. But.so did its prospects forreaching to'be associated with other major programsthe goal of doubling wheat production in 6 which are both difficult to achieve,and years set in the late 1960sart unprece- even more costly_ This effort is designed todented goal which, with international coop- cover all adults aged 15-35 and to reach eration, was achieved in five years rather the rural communities, and includes mobi- than six. Success in this equally unprece- lizing the edkated hut unemployed and dented functional literacy effort'should have tired persons. Achievement of the target. inmany ancillary benefitsincluding in- 10 years would require reducing the num- creased production, reduced human fertil- ber of illiterates by a virtually unprece- ity and the imprdved functioning of the dented 10 percent annually. political system. If this program were to ,achieve its target Doesn't this Indian program deserve within the next 20 rather than 10 years, more attention than it has received to date? India would still achieve a literacy rate Or is it that most assume it will be largely above 75 percent before the end of the cen-a paper effort? Isn't this the type of effort tury. This -would enable India to meet bothcontemplated by the Congress in its en- the -halving of the disparity" Amsterdam couragement of President Carter to explore Declaration target of 67 percent and the the feasibility of year 2000 goals? Don't we RIO "floor" of 75 percent in DRR. More- all have a stake in its success? What might over, achievement of this goal even by theAmericans and others do to help it end of the century would require a dispar- succeed? ity reduction rate of approximately 5 per- Wouldn't a more substantial develop- cent annually and an effort on a scale ment cooperation effort be of major assist; unprecedented ir) history, except,possibly ance for the overall progress required to N, for China. accompany a successful functional education effort? At the least, wouldn't in- Conclusion creased international attention to the virtually unprecedented scale and vision of This brief survey of the historical experi-the new Indian effort encourage both its ence of selected countries in improving lit- supporters in India and those elsewhere eracy suggests that most developing seeking similar acceleration in progress to- countries will need to increase their educa- ward achieving universal ,access to mean- tion efforts tremendously if they are to ingful education? Even though universal halve their illiteracy rates by the year 2000.literacy is notfeasible by the year 2000, It also sugests that this goal, while diffi- doesn't the record of an important group of cult, is not impossible to attain, if there is countries, and the plans of India, hold out

47 the prpspect of overcoming :the worst as- States, and to talk about illiteracy in some pects bf illiteracy by the end of this cen- of the developing societiesAfrica, South- tury through increased national efforts east Asia, some of Latin .America. The dif- supported by. increased international ference is fantastic. We are not talking cooperation? about situations where schools exist, where Thank you, everyone has a chance to go to school but somehow doesn't learn. We are not talking MR. BROt4HEIM about siniations wheje teachers,are available. We are not talking about situations Well, I guess that gives us our first four where the increase in pulation is Some-. questions. Mr. Aklilu. how under control,eiare talking about two different areas-. .And yet in the end rR. AK LILU both produce individuals who are not functional within their societies, or- who could the problem thatwe are discussing today be made more functional. is a very serious international phenomenon In most cases, the literacy issue in de- which has engaged, and continues to en- veloping countries is automatically associ- gage, the attention and the efforts of gov- ated with the poor segments of the ernments, agencies, and educators. If this population. Moreover, we must recognize problem is to be tackled seriously, a betterpriority target groups within that popula- understanding of the breadth of the prob- tion, specifically: . . lem, delivery models, development strate- Women.' gies and the financial situation is required The landless rural population. in each country and/or region. The urban poor. In many of the developing countries this Segments of the population discrimi- is the subject of big international confer- nated against on,i the bases of religion, eth- ences, sweeping resolutions and recom- nicity, etc: , mendations. But.perhaps little follow-up-- If we are to reach these groups, we must much heat, little or no light. Today, Sep- further the work of the schools, which re- tember 8. 1978, as we are phasing intplhe main our primary weapons in the fight 21st century, there are over 800 million fel-against illiteracy:Schools in developing low human beings who do not read and countries must be equipped and encour- mitewho are illiterate. aged to: The major issue, however, is not only Improve their delivery. that they are illiterate, but also that they Reach the unreached. are usually starving, disease-ridden, con- * Contribute to non-formal activities which demned to live in squalor, excessively,de- complement and supplement formal pendent on others, and at the bottom of schooling. the social strata. In the process of contributing towards In fact, they do not live their life as theythe eradication of illiteracy, or better still, are potentially capable of living itthey to the transformation of the economic, po- !iv& the life authored by the "few," usuallylitical and social conditions surrounding il- encated or economically well-off. in pos- literacy. a number of issues and policy session of political authority. options need to be.clarified and elucidated: The problem of illiteracy is not only illiteracy. It is illiteracy plus. (i) Creating broad national, regional and Anyone concerned with the issue of lit- local development plans and strategies is eracy in developink countries knows that he essential. Central to this plan would have or she is concerned with a multitude of in-to be "human resources development" ter-related and complex issuesrequiring literacy as part and parcel of the total edu- ingenuity, indefatigability, resourcefulness,cational program of a country, not as an generosity and sagacity. 4solated phenomenon. Literacy should be Now it is quite interesting,to talk about viewed as an investment to help people illiteracy in a country like the United master their destinies, to make people part-

48 4.

ners in society. dr country to country, frOm oneculturcto an- (ii) The conceptual base needs to be other, from one stage of development to broadened. Literacy is not only readingthethe other, as Well as from one leadership to word, but reading the world. another...It would seem, however, that the' (iii) If grass:-roots local participation is following Might be useful areas for assis- desired, the issue of the language of in- tance and internationalcooperation: struction will have to be faced. Conflicting demands among advocates of instructionin (1) Developing literacy strategies; im- the mother tongue, the national tongue, or proving and sensitizing the climate for basic an international language mustbe resolved.education; fostering continual dialogue,ori- In most of the developing countries, this entation, and discussion. question of tanguage is central. If you are (ii) Developing teaching/learning interested id the litera,cy of the majority, materials. you will have to think in termsof making (iii) Research and evaluation, especially them literate in their language. Or building local institutions with the capabil- languages. ity to undertake research and evaluation. (iv) Genuine commitment and resolve (iv) Language policy development.. must be mobilized at twopolitical levels: (v) Developing local/rural publishing (a) Sustained governmentalinvolvement;, houses, as well as a rural press, to support (b) Local initiative, drive, andparticipa- liter-acy and post-literacy programs; sup- tion:People have to develop themselves. port for the development ofmodest librar- For this to take place, local initiativeis. ies, etc. essential. (v) Decisions must be made in regard to We have argued literacy to be an aspect developinwlocal material versus regional of any country's total educationaldevelop- and international teaching materialproduc-ment and an aspect of anynational devel- tion. We need to look more seriouslyinto opment strategy. One mayask the brutal how we can help people developteaching question: Why literacy? Why worry about materials in their own language. it? Different peilple may have different an- (vi) The place and role of local researCh swers. I W011111Tay: and evaluation versus international re- For the individual: It broadens and en- search and evaluation must bedetermined.riches his stocloof knowledge and provides When welltalk about research and evalua- him with alternative possibilities. ItMakes tion, we are too often saying that wewill him a free person. do research for you about. you.We need to For the community: It enables him t2be -.--help build total capabilities, weak asthey aprodrictive member rather than a pat, might be at the initial stage, It is aneisen-sitic rd6mber of the community andthe.. tial component of any educationaldrive to nation. learn from our pasi experience. For the broader human community:It (vii) We must recognize that literacyis enables man to actualize his "humanness," the responsibility of the nation andits citi- both as an active participant in shapinghis zensnot the sole,provinceof one minis- own life, and as acontributor to the im- try. The drive for literacyrequites the provement of human life aroundthe world. development of coordinglingmeetianisms, Man becomes human, or at least more the.mobilization of local resources, and thehuman. presence ofdynamic leadership Which can Any contribution that anyone makesin capitalize on the energies and.resourcesofthis field is therefore a contribution in some all ministries, as well as private andother measure to thedevelopment of a free, voluntary agencies. National resourceS mustdemocratic, livable and humane society be pooled.if developing countrie-s-Ire to re-amongst the community ofnations. ceive maximum benefit from them. Thank you. It is hard to generalize aboutpossibilities for assistance by agencies andindividuals, since situations and conditions varyfrom

'49 MR BRONHEIM the world to synthesize recent research evidence with earlier findings and examine Now to Dr. Strickland, the implications for classi-oom practices. (2) Follow-up by providing the means OR. STRICKLAND for technical assiStance and the sharing of information among developing and devel- Thank you very much, Mr. Bronheim. oped nations. The' International-Reading Association is My Second point has to do with preven-, an organization of 70,000 individuals and tive approaches to illiteracy, It focuses on institutions dedicated to the improvement the need for greater emphasis on educa- of reading instruction and the promotion oftional programs.for the yery young and lifetime reading.habits. their families. Where education for the early In its role as a forum for ideas, the IRA years exists, it not only acts as an educa- invites a wide variety of opinions on nu- tional program, but also serves as a means inerous topics related to the field of read- of dispensing-health and welfare services ing. For that reason, it is no easy task to and providing parent education. Such pro- select two or three issues that would re- grams have enormous potentiar,for up- flect the concerns of a large proportion of grading family and community life and for the membership. preventing Jearning failure. AS Mr. Aklilu Nevertheless, I have selected Three areasjust noted, illiteracy cannot'be th'OUght of of importance that I feel worthy of consid- simply in terms of the schbol and the aca7 eration by thole in internationalvolicy- demic world; it needs to be considered in making positions. 'Riese relate to: terrns of the entire society and its needs, the impact of language learning research International and national policymaking on classroom practices: bodies can assist by: the present state and trends.of pre-first (1) supporting educational involvement grade education; during the early years through policymak- 4 and the promotion of lifelong reading. ing decisiOns. During August, the IRA held its Seventh (2) collecting and disserhinating informa- World Congress on Reading in Himburg intion about a variety.of approaches to early the Republic of West Germany. It attractededucation which---L. nearly 1,000 participants from 24 different a. have worked in various types of nations around the world. countries with differing needs and lifestyles, One of the overriding concerns of the re- b. are low in cost, searchers present at that meeting was the c. and may serve, not as models, but as need to view reading as one part of a total general information for use in adapting to language learning process and-to view liter-local needs. arfy as communication. Thus listening, (3) recognizing and supporting ways to speaking, reading, aid writing would be p , ote the important contribution parents treated as varions iispects of a total lan- 'can make in the education of their children. guage learning process which makes it pos- Third, there is much that can be done sible for individuals and groups to within and among countries to promote communicate with one another.'During the reading as a lifelong habit. The problem of past twenty years, new research in the encouraging reading for information and area of language and learning has caused recreation on the part of those who can many professionals in the field Ar reading read but don't is one that exists in both de- to question certain school practRes involv-veloping and developed nations. Interna- ing instruction and the evaluation of stu- tional and national groups can help by: dent progress. To help bridge the gap (1) Supporting and conducting reader- between research results and classroom ship campaigns. practices, international and national organi- (2) Working to offset social pressures zations could: . which deter literacy development in order (I) Promote opportunities for research- - to maintain the economic and social status ers and professional educators from aroundquo. It is not by accident that we have

50 tt,

seen arelative lack of progress in combat- you still haven't changed the very conser- ting illiteracy among women, the rural poor,vative pattern of Iteeping the MosleR the urban poor, and minorities-in all women at home. And you're not going to countries. change that overnight. You're not going to Finally, much has been said today aboutchange the old traditions of doing business the problems of illiteracy in the United in the village Overnight, so that adults feel States and throughout the world..Indeed, the need for'literacy. And the ministry of there is ntuth to.be done. education, even 'with a long-term program. But much has already been done. There cannot do it alone. is a body of carefully controlled research Illiteracy is both caused by and is a which indicates that today's students in thesymptom of the economic and social prob- United States generally read as well as, if lems of'a country. No literacy campaign not better than, their counterpartsthirty will be successful in a village, for instance, years ago, Internationally we havemade where there is virtually, 100 percen liter- impressive strides as w6lf.: acy, where the local Icinguageis oné not 1 woeld urge everyone in this room to used nationally, where there are n news- continue to strive for universal literacy. papers, magazines, books, or otheprinted My only hope is that, in that effort, yeti materials, and where all social and o- will be as diligent in alerting the public to none functions are (and have been for our educational successes as you are at centuries), carried but in the otral tradition. keeping them abreast of our failures. Thank If, on the other hand, the government has you, a coherent ond long-termdevelopment policy designed to introduce reading materials MR. BRONHEIM in local languages, technologies appropriate to the improvement of local economic pro- Dr. Spaulding. ductivity, capital for the creation of new economic activity, infrastructure (electric- DR. SPAULDING ity; roads, mass communication, etc.) nec- essarr bringing the village into the Current estimates are that there are about modern sector, and formal and non-formal 800 million illiterate adults throughout the education activities designed to prepare the world. The absolute numbers are increas- villagers for change. then literary activities ing, even though there is a gradual reduc will have a chance of success. tion in Rercentages of illiterates in most Economists have only recently begun to countries. Despite a sizable investment in emphasize the basic-needs.approach to de- national literacy programs sand campaigns velopment. Until re.cently, development in most countries, no simple and rapid so- strategies.have stressed the creation of lution to the literacy problem has been capital-intensive, high-technology ipdustry found. in urban areas. This presumably would I recently returned from Afghanistan, have a "trickle-down" effect, ultimately where I was trying to work out assistance benefiting the masses. In most countries, that the government needs to mount a hugethis approach has benefited some in the ur- literacy campaign in a country of sixteen ban sectors, but little has trickled down to or seventeen million peoplewhereeighty- the rural areas (over 80 percent of the pop- five percent of the population is illiterate. ulation in the poorest countries). In many Even in Kabul, the capital, seventy per- cases, even the urban areas have become cent of the men and ninety percent of the blighted with slums, made up of rural mi- women are illiterate. In rural areas, eighty- grants attracted to the city Where sufficient five percent of the men and ninety-nine jobs for unskilled >workers do not exist. percent of the women are illiterate. They The current thrust is on development want to do something about it. policies which stress income distribution. Well, when you get to a rural village in appropriate technologies for the encourage- Afghanistan, you realize that no matter ment of traditional and rural economic ac- how many classes you open up for adults, tivities, and the creation of social and

4 9 51. economic infrastructure and ser4ices which What can the U.S. do to more effeC- will benefit all the people. This approach tively contribtite to literacy and adult-edu- does not assume that the task i's one of so-cation efforts internationally? 'cial-welfare programs for the disadvan- From an operational point of view, we taged; rather, the task is assumed to be must view literacy programs as more than one of creating the policicaNan6ii-, °grams literacy classes.4We must encourage liter- which will help stimulate a broad growth' ofacy infrastructure projectsin essence, ac- the economy where the people are, and in tivities designed to help countries, create which all the people can participate simple reading materials for adults which effectively. relate to the needs and interests of their Now you see, with that kind of develcrp-communities: publishing infrastructures de- ment policy the situation changes. I spent signed to encourage the creation of local some time.a few summers ago with no- authors, marketing and distribution facili- mads in Saudi Arabia, trying to figure out ties to get good published materials to the ,how you might make nomads literate. Youpeople, and newspaper and magazine pub- have to change their total sotio-economic lishing designed to link to the development, way of going about things: It is not a ques-efforts of the country. tion of offering them literacy classes. But if We must encourage the concept of life- you have other programsin the case of long education through the inclusion of nomads, settlement,programs. health pro- adult and non-formal education activities in grams, education peograms, subsidy pro- all development efforts. In educational grams, forage for animal programs, and so planning efforts, we must encourage gov- onyou may have a chance t,Q change the ernments to examine the integration of ed- lifestyle of the nomad, if thaTs what you u6tion efforts undertaken under various -wartt to.do. I'm not suggesting that neces- ministries, including health, agriculture, in- sarily it should be changed, although the dustry, labor, and others. School buildings nomads, as far as we can tell, are not veryshould be designed to permittheir use as happy with their present way of life. community centers, where literacy classes, In this context, literacy and adult-educa-agricultural extension, cooperative education programs take on new significance. tion, and other life-long education activities Literacy skills acquire a functionality which6n be held. has meaning to adults. Linked to other Within Ministries of Education, pro- skills training and extension activities,Iit- grams should be encouraged which link eracy skills become something of perceivedschools to integrated rural-development value to the community.'c programs;with curricula modified to in- The basic-needs approach to develop- clude practical material of immediate use ment is becoming an irftegral part of strate-to children at all levelswhether they con- gies adopted,by the World Bahk, the tinue beyond that level or not. Too often United Nations Development Program, anddeveloping countries rate the quality of the various multilateral agencies within thetheir educational efforts through questions UN.system (UNT,SCO, ILO. WHO, FAO,like, "Do we have an educational system UNICO, etc.). SiMilarly. AID is more and that gets kids to the univer,sity?" Most of more adopting the basic-needs approach, these countries cannot get afford primary as are the many non-profit, voluntary orga-schoolsvillage schools to the fourth-year nizations in the U.S. involved in develop- level. They should really be concentratipg ment and education activities in other on getting a four-year education system countries. World Education, Inc., for in- that relates to village needs for all Children. stance. an outgrowth of Welthy Fisher's Yet in Afghanistan, for example, with an work, specializes in helping countries de- eighty-five percent illiteracy rate, there are sign adult education and literacy activities six thousand unemployed high school grad- based on a careful analysis of the basic uates, because in the past they have con- needs of the people and direct involvementcentrated too much on high school of the participants in the design and man- education, and not enough on primary agement of adult-education efforts. education. Illiteracy is, in effect, both a symptom ofDISCUSSION underdevelopment and a constraint to development. Literacy efforts must. be a priority concern in our bilateral and multi-. 59WIN NEWMAN lateral involvement, in, development-assis- .tance efforts..But overnight solutions to il- We speak,of India quite often in, the con- literacy problems are not at hand. Long- .text of foreign aid. I think we all, assume a? term efforts, consistently supported and bit too easily that United States foreign aid carefully integrated, with other basic-needs has some correlation with progress for qte strategies, are needed. poorer citiZen of India or any other recipi- Without such efforts, hundreds of inil- ent country. The question,' wish to put be- lions of adults throughout the world will fore you reads, -Look, at India andaina. continue to be denied the basic skills nec- Fifty years ago, theywere equally misera- essary for self-realization; & essence , they ble, but until recently nothing had gone to will continue to be denied a basic human China from the:O.S., while hundke'ds of right which affeas their potential to benefitmillions havelOne to India Yetftday, from all other human.rights. The United China's nine hundred million c41zens have States, in exercising human-rights leader- pulled themselves up by their INootAtraps ship, must place a concern for hteracy and and have practically achieved/self-reliance, the basic needs of all people high on the while India and its six hund d millitn.peo- list of its international priorities. ple continue to flounder inany are S, including nutrition, populaC n, and lit' rac India is a mess," the question says, tl United States aid, seems to have. madhem involuntary parasites/6n us, causing them to neglect their'very own, very great resources: We just/don't know verymuch about helpinide eloping countries help themselves. India shows this." Please. comment. /

, , MR. SPAVIDING . . There,js no question but that China, on the basicyneeds front, has made unprecedented proiress. There Was a rather expensive prelude to ita twenty-year civil war which led to the national will and convic- / tiOn to do this. But the tendency is to think the Indians have done much worse than they have. We don't haye reliable estimates on literacy in China, but if I were to ask the group here, -Which country has had the greatest increase in food production since 1950, India or China? Which country has had the greatest increase in food production since 1960? Which country has had the greatest increase' in food production of those two since 1970?" tyly guessiS that ninet .-five percent).)f the people in tha room wo §ay China. In every case the answer is India, The Indians have had a better percentage record than the Chinese. If you look ahead to

53 the next 15 years, virtually all the responsi-that will run a morning shift exclusiveb/ for ble estimates indicate that India will do. sig-girl drop-outs. In Afghanistan, a very con- nificantly better, percentage-wise, in servative Moslem country, adults have increasing its food production than China. tended to 'allow their telltale children to go China has done better at working out a to one or two giades of school, after which' distribution system of great quality, al- they can pull 'them baCk into the family -1 though that distribution systerri came as.a and not allow them to go further. consequence of a very great expense. And Well, the will, as Aklilu says, is impor- very clearly, the Congress has mandated Sant. The present policy of the national that our foreign aid effort be more con- government is not to allow this; girls and cerned with Meeting basic needs to try to women must be brought into the main- get at this deficiency in our progress. In stream. Consequently, they're building this connection the new Fqeign Aid Stat- special schools, at which the morning shift ute is particularly relevant-E-the charge by will be exclusively for girls who have the Congress to the President to explore dropped out' of schools at any level. The with other countries what it would take to afternoon will be devoted to vocational overcome the worst aspects of poverty by training for boys who have been pushed the year 2000. In many cases it isn't a out at the eighth grade. And the evening question of increasing production, but sessions will be for community center ac- rather a question of distribution. tivities which will also stress bringing women l'ack in for arts and crafts, general EPWIN NEWMAN educatiOn, and so on. This is simply an,example Of things that are happening in many More than two-thirds of the .world's illiter- countries, but it's freSti in my mind, since I sates are women, the vast majority of whomwas recently working there. reside in the developing world. What special efforts and/or projects are in progress MR:EIRONHEIM to raise the school enrollments for girls and women, and otherwise to increase the I Want to say two things,/one strictly as a number of literate females by non-formal government official and then another which means? strikes me as an individuaLbecause it has a certain air of irony to it. It is quite clear MR: GRANT to me that the United States governmetit, in all of its programs, is determined to Many things are being done. The prst is re-remedy what appear to have been defects alizing what haS not been done in the past.in the way we thought about the women's During the 1950's, in many of our develop-role in development. And moreover, tit ev- ing countries the question was not even ery opportunity, as we wOrk with other raised. Today, we are raising it. governments, international institutions, and Now, in the organization from which I financing institutions...we are driving this come, we have appointed a professional point home. The momentum in the whole ,who screens every project, to make sure development effort is enormous, -and it is that this question is looked atin fact, taken into account in everything we do. who has direct instruction to make the Now, how quickly that begins to show ef- question of equity central in whatever we fect is very difficult to measure. do. The women/men issue in looked at But I note that in two areas we have very critically, and there is no project we strong and opposing value judgments. We, do where this question is not raised. the people who have learned over the last fifteen years to oppose intervening in'other DR. SPAULDING peoples' domestic affairs, feel quite strongly about two most delicate areas: one, basic Strangely enough, in thelasTtwoweeks I needs, which go to the heart ofihe way have been helping the Afghan government wealth and income is distributed in another develop a plan for five, multipurpose schools ociety; and two, the role of women. And

54 52 it is interesting to me, and almost ironic, topeople learn, and what rnake drop-outs 'see individuals with great sensitivity to the drop out, and what gets people involved. notion that yciu must not meddle too deeplyThese thags are part of a development inother peoples' internal affairs, deter-, strategy, and a literacy strategy, and an ed- mined to 'let nothing stand in the way of ucational strategy, and countries have done our pushing these two areas. them in their own ways all over the world.' So I think we can all learn from one an-, DA: STRICKLAND other without trying to impose a culeure or a foreign influence on a countiy, develop- I might add one comment, In some of the ing instead the local capabilities in each early Oildhood programs that I know country. abottt, in developing nations .particularly, there are opportunities for mothers to par- DR. STRICKLAND ticipate in literacy-programs, the motiva- ,,tion being that they can better help their As a member of an organization devoted to children and take care of the needs of the this topic. I would saY that it not only can family, in ierms of health and nutrition, if ke done, but it is being done..1 think we've they are literate. learned a lot, in terms of attiludes, about how one goes. into a country, having been' EDWIN,NEWMAN Invited into that country to assist or to get information. Developed countries can in- How can knowledge about deve-loping liter-deed learn from developing nationsthis is acy and teaching reading be shared across a two-way street. natiobal boundaries without disrupting the And developing nations need to develop receiving 'culture? their own strategies.:-They may need technical assistance, but essentially it is their MR. GRANT program they are developing, and their problems that they are addressing. The I'll make a quick stab at that. It seems to outsiders who come in are indeed that me that certain processing,needs are they can be helpful, but their attitudes, I not particularly culturally biased. think, largely determine how useful they For instance, Aklilu was saying that there can be. Certainly, their attitudes as much has to be some kind os local capacity for as their knowledge will determine how use- research and evaluation so that you can )ful they will be. start learning things--you must do linguis- tic studietto find out what languag.e groupsEDWIN NEWMAN are present. And you need evaluatton studies to find out where your literacy programI'd like to thank.you all.very much. is breaking down, and so on. You may do this in different ways in different countries, but each country needs to .have this kind of a process somewhere in its system if it's going to improve its work. You're going to have some kind of Publish- ing and distribution system if you're going to get reading materialg, tp rurakareas. You may not be able to useAKF sales system that you use on newsadi in this country, but you find out how local products are pa distributed in the developing country, and then tie your distribution system to what traditional distribution systems are in the country. Moreover, you have got to find out how

55 Closing Remarks It is also 'significant that we, acknowledge that we are no., tonger in a situation where. Dr. Joseph Duyey a so-called "developed" v.)orld will relate Chairman, National Endowment for the to the so-called "under-developed",world Humanities simply as mentor to teacher. Fortoday.- we in the United States have muchmto learn" from the reinarkable strides that have been DR. DUFFEY made in literacy and basic education by our brothe'rs and sisters in the-lessindus7 Ialithonored to share in this meeting with trialized parts of the world. We tools for. in- those of you who are making c-ontributions spiration and instruction from the to the work of literacy education here in remarkable experiments in citizen educa- the United States and around the world. tion in Britain and Guinea-BissaU and in The ability to'communicate, to understand the Peoples' Republic cif China as well as and be understood, to use language to cap- to the work of schOlars and teachers here ture a conviction, express an emotion, or in our own land. And today we learn from clarify a eoncept is the most,undamental the voice of philosophers of educatipn like . ofhuman skills. Paulo Freire'as well as from our own John It is not inappropriate that a rep,resenta- Dewey and the British philosopher, . tive of the Naponal Endowment for the, Whitehead. Humanities should participate in these de- We have come to see ourselves, then, a§

. liberations. We define the humanities todaycollaborators with thoSe of other nations, in terms of certain fields of knowledge-2- large and smallcollaborators-in an unfin- history, philosophy, the study of language ished rask, students as well.is teachers, and culture. In the 'Middle Ages, however, learning as well as instructing, the university curriculurii- in Western Eu- Without mass literacy, neither.modern rope was divtded into several categoriesof . technology nor modern nations could exist, knowledge, arid the term humanities re- Yet the idea of widespread literacY is still ferred specifically to those dikiplines and something of a historical novelty. As:late skills related to human expression: gram-- as 1850 only about half of the adultsin the mar, logic and rhetoric. The term comes advanced 'European countries could read, from a Latin'term "humanitas," which and as late as the nineteeth century, the means the' mental cultivation befitting a social value of universal literacy was still a man or woman,the human arts. subject of debate. In 1746, for instance, the For citizens of the United States, liter- Academy of Rotten debated the following acy also has a political significance.One ofquestion: "Is it advantageous or harmful'fo our Founding Fathersi, ThomasJefferson, have peasants who know how to read and two hundred years a wrote, "democracy'write?" Two decades later,.in his essay on demands an educatecitizenry." He envi- National Education, the French Attorney sioned a community Jin which access to General wrote that "Educators are pirsu- knowlqdge would.be a right for all citizens ing a fatal policy. They are teaching kople 'rather than a privilege accorded to only a to read and write who should have learned few. Extraordinary social, technolOgical andonly to draw and handle planes and tlemographic chvriges separa'te Jefferson's files.. .The good of society demands world from ours, but nothing has happenedthat the knowledge pf the people should to loosen the bonds between literacy and . not exceed what is necessary for their oc- democracy. Indeed, that tie today is as cupation. Every man who sees further than critical as it ever was. . his dull daily round,'will never follow it It is a significant and. I believe, a hope- out bravely and patiently." And it1807 the ful sign that we have acknowledged in the president of the British Royal Society was context of this conference that the task of arguing that teaching the poor to read and providing the tools of basic literacy for all write would "impair their morals and hap- our citizens is s.till unfinished herein the piness. It would teach them to despise United Statewell as being a problem their lot in, life. It would enable them to with international dimensions. read seditious pamphlets and . .hooks." 56 54 S.

Here in the United States we live in a ity. When people are beside us or on the pluralistic nation where many of us look other.end of a telephone wire, we feel less back upon grandfathers and great-grand- alone. We delight in talking.to them and fathers who fled from societies inwhich listening. But there are limitations to talk- barriers of established privilege reduced ing and listening. For one-thing, there6.'ie opportunities for literacy and ming, andmany people with whom wewill never who came to settle a new .nat in quest have personal contact, and otherswhoin of such opportunities for all. the past spoke as you and I speak;but The-quest for universal literacy is inex- whosesvoices are not with us today. bly linked td certain values in the It is said that dead men and worngitell modern world: equality of social and econo tales, but that is notquite-the Mire nomic opportunity; self-determination in thetrutli: 'Thanks to literacy and thought and political sphere; and the'develoPment of human expression, we have recordsfrom. the critical spirit in the realm of thought. the past. We can learn from the great Many of your deliberations today have thinkers who have gone before us. And so, focused upo'n-IITeracy in terms of "basic in addition to the important oft`basic" and skills" and what we have cojne to call' "functional" literacy, which is necessary "funttionalliteracy." I wan , however, to for every man and woman to live,anade- of what I am ;say a few words about anotr kind of lit- quate life, there are requisites eracy.-In addition to the level of literacy here calling "social- literacy. Beyond our that we call 'functionar or "basic," We ability to read thedirections on a bOx of must also keep in mind the conceptof "s:-cake mix or the instructions thar tell us . cial" literacy. how to use a plow are otheropportunities Perhaps this is not the best term for that literacy provides.. The opportunity to what I have in mind. I am no4 referring to hear what other'people have had ontheir the tasks of writinginvitationS to tea or of minds in the past about the private and composing dissertations on urban prob- most human aspects of theirlives. To hear lems. (Although there is nothing wrongwith that past, we have to read itandby...the writing invitations or studying urban prckb- same token, writtenexpression allows us lems!) What I am trying to express here is to insure that our children and ourchil- the sense in which these ski114 and capaci- dren's children may know what is on our ties provide us with the opportunity to be- minds about the inner and private and most come a'part of society. Andfor those of ushum'an aspects of our own lives. who live in various societies, to transcend The purpose of literacy is to expressand our own national heritage andgain some transmit more than technicalinformation sense of ourselves ascitizens of the world. and insight. All of us, even the simplest, humblest Take the example of Nate Shaw, thef63.- and most innocent, lead complex andoftenMer slave and tenant farmer whoserved a lonesome lives, lives that nd one else sees. term in prison for participating inunion or- Some of the time no one else is even ganizing. Nate Sha'w was discoveredwhdn arpund, or everyone is too busy talking he was 84 years old in Tuskegee,Alabama about something else. Or the important by Theodore Rosengarten. A few years things that are happening, even when otherago, Rosengarten tookdown with a tape people are around and interested, happen recorder Nate Shaw's remarkable memo- ries and reflections upon his life. Firstthg, invisibly insisle us. % This Ibnesomeness is a part of the'hu- tape recording and then thebook became a man condition. We seek to overcome,it in marvelous instrument for releasing what many. ways. We sing,dance, and we draw was locked up insidethis snan who was not pictures. But the most subtle, persuasive able to read or write. His deepfeelings of and- all-encompassing way in,which we gdt compassion. of a sense of justice, and an .through to Other people is With words.We appreciation of life are expressed in re-, falk arid we listen. markable passages from the book: Such activity is very important to the maintenance and expression of our human- 4 1

S. i1never tried to beat nobody out,of tions and intuitions on hisor her,mind. If nothin' since I've been in the world,. 'we live today, as someone said, in,,a ' never has, but I understands that "globk1 village," then getting to knOkv what 'there's a whole class of People tries to other people have on their minds, an'il,to beat the other class- of people but of know and trust each other, and tosense what they has. I've haclit puton me; our relationships with those whom we mak I've,seen it put on others with these never see but with whom we shire a com- , eyes.Oh, it's plain! If every man, mon globe, is of the utmost importance:To thoroughly got his rights, there- do this, every.,bne of the,4 billion ofus ivouldn't be so'many rich people in' must learn something-of what the Ather the world. I spied thata long time 4399,999,999 have to sayor feel. But' this is ago'. Oh, it's desperately wrong! I a mind-boggling thought,.for we cannot all found out all of that because they speak to each other and we cannot possi- tried to take, I don't know what all, bly all listen to eacheother. Yet therecan , awayfrom me." be writing; there Oin be the reading of mesSages transmitted in writing. "Somebody got to stand upi If I'm As diverse as are 'the many people that ,sworn to stand up for all the poor col- populate the earth today, at the level of ored farmers and poor white farmers, our humanity*, there are, I believe, not 4 if they take a notion to join, I've got billion"messages to translate, but onlyone 'to do it." _fundamental message, "What.are we to _ , make of the human experience?" "If you don't like what I've donem then you are against the man I ain to- The expressions of thatmessage are infi- day, I ain't going to takeno backwa- nitely varied, overwhelmingly complex,un- ter about it. If'youdon't like me for fathomably deepwhich is tosay they are the, way I have lived, go off into the human. woods andbushes and shut your But there is only one message and-the mouth and let me go" for.what I'm fact that it is one message is why Shake- worth and if I come oul,,don't let it speare plays so well in Tokyo and Rio and worry you, this is me and for God's why the tale of Genji readsso well in Mos- sake, don't come meSsin" with me. I'd cow and Londonand why Sophocles and fight this morning formy. rights. I'd do Euripides and Plato go overso well every- it for other folks' rights if they'-ll push where: in Harlem and Hunts Point., in Walla along. ' Walla and Kankakee, in Tobasco and Perth, in Mwanca, Omsk and Zaragoza. -How many people,is it today, that You will note thit I have slipped from needs and requires to carry out this talking about the theme of this conference movement? HOw many is it know just which you have been so intensely and What it's goin' to take It'S takenun- rightly concerned with todaybasic skills told time and more time and it'll take and functional literacytoa topic with more before it's finished. The un- which I am intensely and, I believe, rightly acknowledged c;tes...that's livin' concerned. Perhaps ',made the transition 'here in this country, they're gonna to avoid revealing the little I understand ,win."* about what all of you know so. well. But I did it also to try to illustratea fundamental Nate ShaW may have been illiterate, but aspect of human literacy to which I re- his tessimo as not lost,lhanks to Theo-ferred at the beginning of these remarks. dore Rosengarten, and it remindsus to this There is an advertisement which isrun-. day of how deep and sensitive .and rich thening lately in sothe of .4:)urtAmericannews- human spirit can be, It is estimated That there'are 4 billion *All God's Dangers,The life of sate Shaw, C). 1974 people in the world today. Everyone of by Theodore Rosengarten, reprinted by permission them has observations; reffections,emo- of Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.

58 papers end magazines andon.oirr subways and buses-T.It is wad for the Vnited Negro College Fun& avid it asks for, contributions to those colleges. The ad has apicture of a young man sitting alonein a room with a single sentence. It says, "A mind is a terri . ble thing to waste." I believe 'that .ad poignantly expresses, for all 4 billion of those' of us who inhabit the earth, an emerging and fundamental convictionany.one of our 4 billion 'minds :Is-a terrible thing to Wasteand that, frqm cnypoint of view, is what the quest for universal literacy is all about.

59 App.ndix A

unitedsnations educational, scientific and cultural organization organisation des nations unies pour réducation, la science et hi cu1tur n.

7. place de Fantenoy, 7$7N Parr,

The Director-General ESSAGE TO THE INTEfl0NA1 LITERACY DAY CONFERENCE Rdcrerivv.

I take pleasure in sending my best-withes to the organizers of the Conference on Literacy which is being convened today It the State Department of the United States of America. I am partfcuIarly moved and pleas'ed by the' initiative and appreciate very much the high level and range of those domestit. institutions connected with this event.

With 800 million fl)iterates he world and the steady growth of IhiS number in spite of all effortS, literacy continues to be one of Oe greatest scourges of our time. This-state of affairs is in contradicttpb tok the Universal -Declaration of Human Rights, Article 26 of which statesthe right of one and all to education. The consequences of illiteracy are many, but-most significantly it stands in way 'Of the development of the,individual as well as that of society. Experience has 'shown that, if illiteracy is to be eradicated in a country, there must be the political will, thetechnical means and sufficient funds.

Unfortunately, the societies mosi afflicted by illiteracyare'invariably the poorest and the least developed. Thus, eveh,with the/best will'in the world, these societies cannot on their own provide the necessarysolution. They will, however, welcome outside help, and the-fight againstilliteracy, more perhaps, than any other effort, therefore deman.ds thesolidarity of manki and calls for international co-operation.

With the experience, the technical means and the know-howat your dis- posal, the contribution of a country such as yours isindispensable to this action. In this regartl I hope the youth of the United States canplay a direct role in this action through the collectton of funds in schools,-colleges and ,universities to aid specific projects in fayour of the mostdisadvantaged societies.

For its part, Unesce, is ready to co-operate in this venturewith the National Commission for Unescoo with the universities and theintellectual and artistic world in general, and with the information mediaof your great country.

Thirty years after tRe proclamation of the UniversalDeclaration of Human Rights, we must intensify our joint efforts to ensurethat every child, every youn erson and adult, without discrimination,fully enjoys the right to education, Ich responds to a fundamental need of man in society.

Oh behalf Of the United Nations Educational, Scientific andCultural Organizati n, I salute and thank you for your contribution tothis world-wide task.

A-A*4 4ow

Amadou-M h'r M Bow

61 t Appendix B

SECRETARY OF HEALTH, EO,UCATION, AND EL.FARE, WASHINGTON, O.C.20201 September 8, 1978

-INTERNATIONAL LITERACY DAY

Even as we mark with pride recent progress toward

universal literacy, International Literacy Day, 1978, is a time to acknowledge the need to quicken the pace.

, Thirty. .years ago, nearly half the world's people'

could not read or write. Today, one person in five must confront life without these basic.communication

skil s.

The abi ity to communicate becomes even more crucial

as an ever .creasing population strives to meet the

complex challenges of today and toPrrow. The world

community can settle for no less universal literacy

in the yearg ahead.

On this International Literacy Day,I wish to confirm

the commitment of the Department of Health, Education,

and Welfare to pursue this goal. 1

Appendix C Sponsors,. Planning Committee, Staff and Participants

Sponsors The Department of Health, Education, and Welfare The Department pf State The Agency for International Development 'The Office of Education, Department of Health,Education, and Welfare The American Association of Advertising Agencies .The Association of American Publishers,

Planning Committaa Office of Health Issues, the White House, Chairman Action/Peace Corps Agency for International Development American Association of Xdvertising Agencies American Newspaper Publishers Association Association of American Publishers Bureau of International Organization Affairs, DiPartment of State International Communication Agency National Education Association Office of the Assistant Secretary for Education, Department of Health. Education, and Welfare Office of Education, Department of Health, Education, and Welfa e Reading is'undamental, Inc. Right to Read Program, Office of Education. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare U,SNational Committee for UNESCO, Departmerit of State The World Bank World, Education Contarincs Staff

Co? Director Gerald Fill Conference Coordinators Deborah Parham Stuart Diamond 'Executive Secretary and Conference Planner Betsy Krystynak Conference Planners David Damrosch Diane. Haase Gregory Johnson. Hostesses Marilyn Brian Marion Craig Margery London ss Cheryl Parham Dottie Tuttle Cheryl Waller Editor, Proceedings of the International Literacy Day Conference Stuart Diamond

6 0 Invits Richard C. Atkinson William Black William Attwood Harold Blackburn P, Eric Abercrumbie Embassy of Australia' 3-Jean Blackman Academy for Educational Embassy of Austria Paul Blackwood Development, Inc. Edward .1. Baca Art Blankmore Andrew Adams Gilbert Bachman j. A. Blethen (Charles F. Adams Ruth Bacon Paul Block, Frances Adarris Naida Bagentos William Block Ali Ce Adana lian Embassy of the Bahamas Jesima 0. Blockwick Ada Adler Embassy of the State of Bahrain Victor 0. Bloede Larry Adler Stephen K. Bailey Leo Bogart Susan Adler T. Wayne Bailey Thomas E. Bolger -Administration on Aging Mary Ann Baird Embassy of Bolivia Adult Education Association o Judy Baker Merle R. Bolton the USA NRosalyn Baker Charles Bomont Embassy of Afghanis= Wright 0. Baker Carol Bonosaro African-American Institute Embassy of Bangladesh' Robert G. Booth Agricultural Education John A. Bannigan Dayid Borrow Magazine Embassy of Barbados Rodney L. Borum Manzoor Ahmed Martin C. Bare 11 Charles Bosken William C. Aiston, Sr. Robert Barnes Mercedes Bous Leo Albert Robert W. Barnett Peter G. Bourne Joe-Albritton Ysaye M, Barnwell W. C. Boutwell Jotin Alden Myra Barrer John S. Bowen Jane AlgOzzine Thomas C. Barrett John Bowen Virginia Allan Perk Barron Fred W. Bowman Bob G. Allen Jane Barry Vivian R. Bowser Donna Allen Robert L. Barry Kathy Boyden George H. Allen Charles A. Batson Mr. and Mrs. John CBoyden Embassy of Algeria Jorge Batista David R.. Bradley Peter W. Moon Frank Batten Gail Bradley Braulio Alonso Lonnie Balk Marlene Biasefield Gordon M. Ambach Jessie Baum 'Cole. Brembeck The Journal of the John Beauchamp- Ro Brewton, Jr. American Association of Isabel Beck chard Brickley University Women James R. Beck, Jr. W. Bradford 'Briggs American Council of Voluntary James Becker Marlin L. Brockette Agencies for Foreign Service Wesley C. Becker George Brodshi David P. Amerman': Mary Lou Becker Kathryn F. B'roman Joseph J. Arnodeo Harrison Bell Frank B. Brouillet Forest W, Amsden William Bellamy Doreen Brown Harold W. Andersen Bill Bengtson Earl F. Brown Darby Anderson Embassy of the Peoples Frederick Brown Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Andeknon Republic of Benin Gweneth Brown George F. Anderson Howard H. Bell Richaril J. Brown Gilbert Anderson Judy Benjamin Ronald Brown John R. Anderson Frank Bennack Rita Brownlee Richard C. Anderson Mike Bennet B. Douglas Bruce Gregory R. Anrig Robert D. Benton Ronald G. Bruch Allen Apodaca Robert C: Bergenheirn Robert Brunelle Embassy of the United Arab George Bertrand J. Ned Bryan Emirates .Mere T. Betham Pace Bryan William Aresndorf Eunice Bethke J. Stewart Bryan Esther Arganbright Vivian Beyda Herrington Bryce Embassy of Argentina Andrew Bingham Sanford Buchsbaum Margaret Long Arnold Barry Bingham, Jr. Thomas Ifuergenthal Leslie G. Arries, Jr. Donald Bishop Archie L. Buffkins Asia Foundation Luther H. Black Embassy of Bulgaria Ray J. Ast' Millard H. Black Mildred Bullitt Betty Atehinson Thomas H. Black Marie Burba

64 Frank Burd Florence Claggett Embassy of 'Cyprus Pred G. Burke W. M. Claggett Embassy orCzechoslavakia Mary P. Burke John Clanagan Hilda Lee Dail Embassy of the Union of Burma Bayard Clark Bill Daley Lou E. Burmeister Charles G. Clark George DaljeY Thomas 1. Burns Harold F.'Clark, Jr, Lori Damrosch Patricia Burr Sherwood W. Clasen' Franek A, Daniels, Jr, Cyril B. Busbee Elmer E. Clausen Paul R. Daniels Ronald Busch Lycli B. Clay David Dar land Donald G, Butcher Dorothy Clayborne Moira Daven Charles H. Buzzell Judi Claybourn Celestia Davis Maiy E. Cadigan James Click Dovey M, Day' Eugene Cafiero Joyce COates Keith Davis James W. Cahill Ruth Clusen Joel Davis Gertrude Beckwith Calden Allan Cohen- Judith.A. Davis Isaac M. Calvo Harris Cohen L. Harlan Davis -Embassy of the Federal John Cole Walter G. Davis Republic of Cameroon Gene Collins Walter N. Davis Embassy of the lini4ed Republic March F. Collins William H. bavis of Cameroon Carol Colloton Joe M. Dealey Sharon Camp Thomas H.Collins Alex DeBakesy M. Anne Campbell Robert J. Colvin Richard E. Deems RObert D. Campbell L Lin Compton _Leonard J. Delayo W. E. Campbell Embassy of.the Democratic Paul V. Pelker Embassy of Cape Verde Republic of Congo Embassy Of.Denmark Capitol Publications, Inc. GeraldE. Connolly Patricia Derian Patricia Carbine Anna L. Connor Doris Dew 'Anthony Cardinale W. J. Conners In Paula Diamond William Carpenter' Robert H. Connery Richard E. Diamond Eugne G. Carr Joseph Conyard Helen Diaz Kevin Carroll Don Cook Norma Dick Beverly R. Carter S. R. Cook M. R. Dickson Nancy J. Caruso Stan lei L. Cook. William Diepenbrock Claudia Casey Stanton R. Cook Richard 'Di Eugenio Howard B. Casmey Ted Cook Mary Jane Dillon Drewcilla Cassidy Mary Combs Ralph R. DiSibio Jack Cassidy Philip Coombs Leonard Doak Apolinario Castro Helen K. Copley Eugene B. Dodson Robert F. Caswell-- George H. Cornelius, Jr. Embassy of Dominican Center for International Thelma M. Cornish Republic Harold C. Donofrio Education Frank Corrigin Embassy of Republic of Chad Richard W. Cohright Leonard W. Doolan, Ill Jeanne S. Chan Embassy of Costa Rica Delmer J. Dooky 'Herschel le S. Challenor Thomas E. Collier Edward W. Dooley James F. Chambers. Jr. William R. Cotter James R. Dor land Barbara Chandler Council on Environmental James T. Dorris Otis Chandler Quality Robert Douglas Robert Chanin Eugene S. Cowen Gordon Dowell Alvah H. Chapman. Jr. William H. Cowles Ann P. Drennan Jack Chapman Joye Jenkins Coy Maria E. Dubourt Carlos E. Chardon, Jr. Gertrude Crain Torn R. Dudley Barbara Childs Albert C. Crambert James Duffy Embassy of Chile Richard S. Creedon RosemaryDuggan Alton C. Crews Verne A. Duncan Susan Chilton James J. Dunn Shirley Chisholm Joseph M. Cronin Elizabeth Chittick Thomas Crowe Mike Dunn Robert G. Cho liar Ruth Cullen William K. Durr The Chronicle of Higher William Cunneen Do-nie Duuon Education Emory 0, Cunningham William Dwight Roseine Church Glen W. Cuthp Alan R. Dynner 65 John C. Easgard Nine te Florence Al Goodyear J. K. East Clar nce FOgelstrom Robert Gormley Luke Easter Robert Follett Gregory Gore A. James Ebel A. W.'Ford Glenn A. Gornall Don Eberly Richard D. Forster David A.Goslin Ruth Eblern Donald J. Fosdick Denise Goslinger John Ecos Embassy of France MartinC. Gotowala Embassy of Ecuador Raquel Frankel James B. Grahdin 'Wallace B. Edgerton Robert E. Frankes Katharine Grahto Education Funding Research Larry Frase Earl G. Graves quncil Arvonne Fraser Patsy Graves rDavid Edwards Calvin M. Frazier Walter Graves Joseph W. Edwards Robert Frederic Joseph A. Gray Embassy of Egypt NairFrederick Embassy of Greece. Gary Lisenberger Selma Freedman Bernice Green Don Eller Robert A. Freeman Chester R. Green William Eller . Ted Freeman Elizabeth Green Ed Ellis. William H. Freeman Evelyn Green John Ellis Jo etchling George J. Green Diana Ernes O. Fritts William D. Green Ann Elmore cron Mary A. Grere Embassy of El Salvador ujirnori Embassy of Grenada Masa-Aki.N. Emesiochi William M. Gabard Jane T. Griffin Robert J. Ernmitt Embassy of the Republic of Sallie Grimes H. A. Ericson Gabon Jack Grisham Jane Ervin James B. Gates Arnold E. Grisman Roberto Esquen Mayo Marge Gates Clifford J. Grum Harry A. Estes Peggy Galey Embassy of Guatemala Edward W. Est Oscar Garcia-Rivera Brent H. Gubler Embassy of Eth pi Vera Gathright Lacey Gude Samuel Ethrid Henry Geller Reuben T. Guenthner Alvin C. Euri Gephart Embassy of Guinea' David R. E ns Embassy of Federal Republic of Lee Guittar Thermanvans Germany Jonathan Gunther Gary re Gabriel gerrra-Mondragon John T. Guthrie oot Fahlgren Peter Gibler Embassy of Guyana 'chard Fairley Carol Gibson J. Michael Hadley Al Falatko Eleanor J. Gibson David Haggerty Sissy Farenthdd Wayne E. Giles Francis L. Haggerty 'Marjorie Farmer Mr. & Mrs. Paul Giles Louis T. Hagopian Donald Farnsworth David Gillespie James H. Hale Adelaide Farrah Caroline Galin Connie Haleyn Carolyn Farrar F. Priscilla Gipson Barbara J. Hall William A. Farrell Richard Gladstone Sam Halperin Mlle C. Felder, Jr. Roy A. Glah, Sr,. William Halpin James A. Fellows Nicholas Glaser Lawrence H.Halverson Gordon Felton Ed Glassman Betty Hamburg Maurice A. Ferre Edmund J. Gleazer. Jr Arthur H. Hammerstrom Charles Ferris Virginia Gobats Reese fliammond Marshall Field Harold Goff William Hammond Daisy B. Fields e:arol S. Gold Donald Hammonds Lynne Fill Donna Gold Joe Hanagan Embassy of Finland Donald G. Goldstrom Raymond A. Hare Irma F' Albert Goller Mary Harris James S. Fish Herman Gollob Michael Harris Leslie R. Fisher Joan Goodin Frederick Hartley Joseph Fitzgerald Barbara Good Nancy Hartley Dennis Flanagan Irving Goodman John W. Hartman Arthur L. Flemming Kenneth Goodman Linda Hartsock Frank Flood David Goodwyn Frank Hartman 66 C. S. Hatch Glen C. Hyatt John Hoare Kerr Nel le Hause Embassy of Iceland Henry Kerry Robert E. Haugan Gerard Inddricato Paul F. K'eye Rose Lee Hayden Embassy of India Thomas M. Keyes Dora Lee Haynes Embassy of the Republic of J. R. Kidd Dick Hays Indonesia Charles 0. Kilpatri4 William Healy Samuel H. Ingram Robert F. Kinder Kathryn G. Heath David Inman Mary Xing Peter kiegener Laura Inman C. John Kirby Edward Heiden Embassy of Iran Evron M. Kirkpatrick Dorothy Height EmbasSy of Iraq Mary Frances Kirschner Suzanne Henderson Embassy of Ireland Lloyd Kjorness Shirley Hendsch fgt. Irons Frank H. Klassen Anne HenrY Bill Israel Caryl M. Kline Len Hensel Embassy of Israel Lloyd Kline Charles D. Hepler' Anh-Huong lu Roma Knee Alexis Herman J. Terry Iversen Lowell W. Knight Mauricio Herman Lawrence Jackel Winthrop Knowlton William R. Hesse Allen D, Jackson Virginia Koehler Grace L. Hewell Eugerie D. siackion Margarita Koltof William Hewitt Shirley A. Jackson Ken Komoski Maurice Hickey Becky JacOsen Daniel W. Keps Higher EA:lucation Daily Robert E. Jacoby John .FACourmadas Duane Hilt, Carl Jaeger Rose Koury David L. Kreeger Gary Nil Zk Sagar Jain Leonard R. Hill Embassy of Jamaica Alan Thomas Hill W. H. James Richard insley Robert Hilliard Paul Janaske Preston nkosky Lee Hills Embassy of Japan Kathy Kruger Jessie Jewel H e Hugh M. Jenkins Krys Krystynak Margaret Hir Ruby Jenkins Eugene H. Kummel Garth Hite Kyo R. Min Embassy of the State of Kuwait Gordon Hjal on Dave Johnson Eleanor M. Ladd Aliam P. Hob y, Jr. Deborah Johnson L. W. Lane, jr. Herbert W. Hobler Karen L. Johnson Robert D. Lane Alexander Hoffman Richard J. V. Johnson, Leonard Lanfranto Keith Hogan Sterling Johnson Barbara Langhoff William A. Holcombe W. Thomas Johnson Embassy of the Lao Peoples Charles E. Holladay. Don Johnston Democratic Republic Blossom Holland Rita Johnston Jane Larsh B. H. Honderich Clark Jones John A. Laska Embassy of the Hondura Gordon L. Jones- Robert S. Laubach L. V. Honsinger John M. Jones James R. Lawson Townsend Hoopes Richard L. Jones. Jr. Thomas E. Lawson Koryne Horbal Sharon Jones Frederick Lawton David W. Hornbeck Embassy of Jordan League of Women Voters Robeit W. Houk Ford H.Jordan, Jr. Julia Graham Lear Ann Houseman Jack Kauffman l44vid Leavitt Edward R. Howard Miriam Kazanjian Embassy of Lebanon John R. Howard Gwendoly-n E. Kean Isabel Lee Johnny P. Howard William J. Keating Jerry Lee Michael Howard Thomas B. Keehn Willard W. Lee Robert T. Howard David F. Kefauver Robert Leestrna Harold Howe William F. Keller Mildred Robbins Leet F. Richard Hsu Helen Keller Rolf Lehming Myrna Hugi Barbara Kemp John H. Lemme R. M. Hunt Joan E. Kenney Lois Lenderking Wayne Hunter Peter B. Kenney William A. Leonard Lincoln.T. Hudson Embassy of Kenya Acnold S. Lerner David Hyatt Joseph Kerns Howard Lesnick 67 ,

46,

Embassy of the Kingdom of Dr, .tore. Mark Midwestern Universities Lesotho -Leonar 1.Marks Consortium for International Gerald S..Lesser Sidney Madand Activities Juliette Noone Lester Geoffrey Marshall Patricia Milazzo Mary Jean LeTendre Robert Marshall Roy Millenson Martin P. Levin Liz Marten John F. Miller Herbert Levine Charlotte Martin' Maya Miller James Le Vine Ward Mason Paul Miller Maria Levine. Ethel K. Matthews Wayne A. Miller William L. Lewis' Jeanne Mattison J-L Sawin Milieu, Jr. G. Richard Leziu.s Gilbert C. Maurer Louise Milone Frances Li' Embassy of Matiritania Newton N. Minow Embassy of the Republic of Embassy of Mauritius Alan Mirken Liberia Charles William Maynes Edna Mitchel Embassy of Libya Walter E. May Addle Stabler Mitchell Marshall L. Lind Richmond Mayo-Smith R. H. Stewart Mitchell Jean Lipman-Blumen Gibson McCabe' Ronald W, Mitchell Robert R. Lipscomb David B. McCall John C. Molina Barbara Little Jack McCarthy Carmen Monroe C. Edward Little- Ellen MeCaslin Andy Montez W. ID. Littleford Melvin A. McCaw William 'Moon Nancy B. Livingston J. M. McClelland, Jr. Dorthey K. Moore Margaret Lloyd Robert McClory Jean F. Moore Robert Loddengaard Robert McClure Joseph Moore, G. D. Loeseher Robert B. McConnell Laura Moore Liroy J. London A. Hugh McCorkle William' M. Moore Elvin Long Thomas J. McCorrAack Hilda Moreno Huey B. Long Constance M. McCulloUgh Richard Morgan Richard Long David S4'Nteetillough Nicholas Moriarty Fidel Lopez Donald A. McCune Embassy of Morocco Ruth B. Love Charles McDaniel Donald Morris Susan Lowell George G. McDopaltf Lloyd NI. Morrisett Jean Lowrie Lacille McDowell Ditti Morse Ethel Lowry Stan McFarland Stephen F. Moseley Robert" A. Luke John T. McGarigal Alfred Moye Haro)d Luntey Willard H. McGuire William G. Mullen Ernssy of Luxembourg Charles W. McIntosh Rupert Murdoch & Mrs. Sandy Mabry Sam.S. McKee] Pat Murphy David MacEachron Morelia McKenzi Lane Murray Walter H.MacGinitie Stanley W. McKenzie Wayne Myers Embassy of Madagascar Robert M. McKune Helen Nakki Kenneth C. Madden Helen McLain Jean Narayanan Eugene L. Madeira Frank W. McLaurin National Association for Public Betty J. Mage John T. McLoughlin Continuing and Adult Suzanne Mager John F. McMaster Education Frances. Magrabi 'Jane McMichael National Association of John Maher Robert McNamara Broadcasters Embassy of Malawi Mary 'McNulty National Schoial Public' 'Embassy of Malaysia Grace, McReynokls Relations AsNI. Embassy of Republic of Mali Edward Meador Harold L. Neal, Jr. Arthur L. Mallory Charles J. Meier Harold H. Negley Embassy of Malta George Mello Embassy of Nepal Frank Mankiewicz Jill Merrick Embassy. of Netherlands John C. Manning Elk.3 Metsky Allen H. Neuharth Richard K. ManotT john L. Metzger Leona Nevler Robert Marbut Vilma Martinez Donald Newhouse William C. Marcil Edwin O. Meyer Edward N. Ney Mildred Marcy jack Mezirow Embassy ot Nicaragua Joe Marinelli Bernard Michael Jerry 0. Nielsen Leon Marion Leo Michel Henry Nieves

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Embassy of Niger Charles W. Phillips Robert C. Rollings Embassy of Nigeria '.Warren Phillips Frank M. Rolph Olive S. Niles William Pierce Embassy of Romania J. Kelly Nix John J. Pikulski Mr, Sz.Mrs. Eugene Rosenfeld Richard K. Nobbe John $. Pingel James Rosenfield Clifford Cs Norris yllis Piotrow Barak V. Rosenshine Embassy of Norway. aohn Pitrnan Howard Rosenthal National Council for the Social:- Robert 'A. Pittman Tomme N. Rosenthal Studies (NCSS) John Thomas Poeton Kathleen Ross Mary Frances O'Brian Embassy of the Polish ,Peoples Harold Roth Robert' F. O'Brien Republic Ralph Roth ,Williarn P. O'Brien John W. Porter Ernest Rothschild Patricia O'Callaghan Embassy of Portugal John Rsgard Catherine Odell Sarah Goddard Power Raymond Rubicam Bernard'O'Donnell George Pratt John Runkel Patrick .1. 'O'Farrell Alex Primm Phillips Ruopp Darrell Oishi GeorgiannaTrince Kenneth Russell Charles O'Keefe Aary Proctor Embassy of Rwanda Helen.O'Leary Clifford A. Prout John E. Ryan Embassy of Oman Herbert H. Provence, John Ryor Organization of American States Charles Pucie S. Jay Samuels William F. O'Shaughnessy Eugene C. Pulliam Elisa Sanchez Ruth H. Osborn Robert'Purcell Bernice Sandler Boyd Osborne Ada Puryear Williai Samoff Aiko Otomo John B. Putnam Stephen Sauls John E. O'Toole Embassy of Qatar James M. Sawyer William A. Ott Felix Rabauliman Becky Schergens Bette Overfield Kay Radtke Lloyd G. Schermer Overseas LiaisonCommittee David Ramarui Anthony Schiff Dick Painter Gerald Randall Gilbert B. Schiffman . Embassy of Pakistan Paul Ranney Elisabeth Schlaefle Francis L. Pale Robert Rasmussen Aileen Schlef Julia Reed Palmer James M. Ratcliffe Virginia Mona Schlundt Pan American Health Betty Reardon . W. F. Schmick, Jr. Organization Linda Reed Thomas C. Schmidt Embassy of Panama Vincent E. Reed Florence Schott Embassy of Paraguay Lydia Reeve Robert G. Schrader Rose L. Parham Paul E. Reid Jill Schuker William M. Parham. Jr. Mary Reiss Eldon Schultz Glenn E. Parker Robert J. Rentschler Rubie Schuster James Parker Loren Resnick Gloria Scott Joyce Payne Kent Rhodes David G. Scribner Daniel T. Pecaro Georgia R. Rice Joseph Seanor Robert H. Pecha Joseph B. Ridder Lucy W. Sells W. K. Pg-dersen Mary Anne Riegelman Barry Semple Wesley Pelsue William Riess Judy Senderowitz Ada Pena Wilson Riles Embassy of Senegal Monte Penney Michael J. Roarty William Senter James Peoples Henry Robbins Lisa Sergio Ana Maria Perera Bradley H. Roberts Robert Shanahan Monte Perez Howard Roberts petty Shapiro James Perkins Jean E. Robertson Mike Shapiro Florence Perman H. Alan Robinson William Sharp Peruvian Embassy Joyce Robinson Mark R. Shedd Clyde P. Peters Richard Robinson Judith Shellnutt Raymond J. Petersen Sandra Robinson Becky Shergens Richard Petre Franklyn Le Hazel Showell Ashton Phelps Juan Rodr john E. Sideris S. Phelps Platt, Jr. Luther R. Embassy of Sierra Leone Embassy of the Philippines William C. Rogers Otto A. Silha 69 Adelaide L. Silvia Jeremy J. Stone Donald A. Thurston, Dimitri Simes Jerry Storey Fred Tillman Dolph C. Sirnons Daxe Stratman A. Dail Timpe Sherwood Simons G.tordon Strong 'Irene Tinker Artemis Simopoulos Helen Strowe Gail Tissier Bill Sims Embassy of the Sudan Today Publications and News Embassy of them Republic of John Suhler A. Service, Inc. Singapore Joseph;Suhorsky Thomas C. Todd Harry Singer Candace Sullivan Embassy of Togo J. Kelly Sisk Daniel F. Sullivan, Jean Tolbert S. Mason Sisk Gene Sullivan Maria Elena Torano Ray Slaby John Sullivan Judith V. Torney Len H. Small Arthur Sulzberger' GabOela Touchard Charles Smith Doris Suprenant Carr II Towey Dale E. Smith Embassy of Republic of JosepTremont Edward Smith Surinam. DierdrTrent Edwin H. Smith Galina Suziedelis Robert ezise Elise Smith James_Swalm EmbassA of Trinidad & Tobago Gail Smith Charles Swanson Carolyn ohoski Joe Do:Smith. Jr. Frank Swanson Roy Trub Rochelle Smith Leonard A. Swanson. Thomas Tr Olio G. Roy§sa Smith Embassy of the Kingdom of Jan Lewis Tickàr ,Ted A. Vitali Swaziland ,Darrow Tull William Smith - Embassy of Sweden Coralie Turbiet, Howard j, Snortland John H. Sweet Ralph D. Thrlington Joseph M. Snyder Embassy of Switzerland Judith Nixon Turnbu t Richard Snyder Hugh Swofford June H. Turner Frank- SOO Warren B.-Syer Mary G. Turner Society for Ititernational Embas'sy of Syria Seth Tuttle -1 De velopmtnt Robert Taggart Unite'd Nations Association Donald N. Soldwe'del Phillips Talbot United Nations Development Embassy of Somali ICepublk Walter D. Talbot Program Embassy of Sottch Africa Marilyn Tank Henry Z:Urban R. W. Southan bassy of Tanzania Stuart B. Upson Embassy of Spain Jack Tarver Harry F. Uptbn George A. Sneers .',.1 George H. Tatum Thomas Vail David A. Speir John Tatum Jerry Van Dyke Sultia Spencer Joseph E. Tatum Carl V. Vehters, Jr. Ursula Springer Lemoyne Tatum Joseph Vettickal Edward F. Sproat, Jr. William Tatum, Sr. Clinton Vieth Embassy of Sri Lanka William H. Tatum, Jr. Thomas .Villareal Ralph C. Staiger Bernard R. Taylor Carlo Vittorini Ralph Staiger Daniel B. Taylor Paquita Vivo Burke Stanard Nelle Taylor 'Stan Volens David L. Stashower Robert L. Taylor Embassy of the Republis of Charles Stauffacher Sherril Taylor Upper Volta Stanley H. Stauffer Wilhelmina Taylor Jon Vondracek Richard C. Steele William Davis Taylor .Carmen Delgado. Votaw Per G. Stensland Wayne Teague Melvin Wachs Ben Stephansky Arthur L. Terrazas, Jr, Robert H. B. Wade Rose Steve Royal Thai Embassy Elizabeth Wagner Susan Steward Jack G. Thayer Susan Wagner Andrew Stewart Stephen Thom Frederick R. Waingrow Don Stewart Dorothy Thomas Bob Walden Lawrence G. Stewart Barbara S. Thompson Bobbie L. Walden 'Thomas Sticht Harry C. Thompson Gilpin Walker Fred A. Stickel Robert E. Thompson Margaret Walker Ann Gayle Stiegler Mildred.Thorne Kay Wallace Phil Stillman Arthur Thornhill Esther Jean Walls Rev. & Mrs. Louis Stokes Andrew Thornton Lawrence Walsh

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Franklin B. Walter Ralph Widner James J. Woods Raymond E. Wanner Stanley Wilcox Women's Media Workshop, E. E. Wanous Sharon P. Wilkinson Inc. Carolyn Ware B. G. Williams' Jacob E. Worner Carolyn Warner John Williams Charles E. Wright Constantine Warvariv Mary G. Williams , Peter Q. Wright John P. Warwick Sloan Williams Lester Wjunderman Grace Watson Mr. & Mrs. Ulysses S. Williams John K. "Wu Wilson C. Wearn Jack Willis Mildred Wurf Robert Weatherford Dustin Wilson James A. Wyatt - Edith Wilson Laurence Wyatt Phyllis Weaver a' Howard.C. Webber, Jr. Jane Wilson Lawrence Wyatt Saul Weber Marks Wilson Lauri Wynn Cynthli Wedel Simon Wilson Roger Yarrington Ruth Wehle Steve Winnick Jack S. Younts Louis A. Weil, Jr. Robert A. Withey Embassy of the Republic of Melissa Wells Helen B. Wolfe Zaire David R.'West Leslie Wolfe Marilyn Zak Virginia Pate Wetter, Kenneth Wood Embassy of the Republic of Nealos Wheeler Mine Millar Wood Zambia Jack Wheeler Thomas Wood John Zinsser, Jr. Don White Martre'ne Woodard Barry Zorthian