DOCUWENT RES'31.2E ED 130 085 CB DOS 50S AUTHOF N:3dney, R. TITLE The Adult Illiterate in. theComm)nity. INSTITUTIGN Bolton Coll. of Education(Technical), (England). PUB DATE 75 NCTE 166p. Al/AIIABLE l'ROM Bolton College of Education(Technical), Chadwick Street, Bolton BL2 1JW, England EDRS PRICE NF-$0.83 Plus Postage. WC Not Availablefrom EDES. DESCRIPTORS *Adult Basic Education; *AdilltEducation; College.s; Community Education; Educational Needs;Foreign Countries; Illiteracy; Illiterate Adults; Institutional Role; *Literacy Education; Program Administration; Program Descriptions; Program Development; Tea::: .17Education IDENTIFIERS England ABSTRACT This collection oE papers isintended to provide adult educators and administratorsinformation that Kill assist in making decisions about, initiating,financing, and evaluating adult literacy programs in England. Papersin the first part of the book focus un detinitions of adultliteracy, examining the dimensionsof the problem, the potentialimpact of a British Broadcasting Company television series of motivational programs onthe subject, and the role of colleges in meetingcommunity needs. In the second part, a detailed study is made of fouron-going projects, one based on the Liverpool LEA, the second acolleae-based scheme at South Trafford College of Further Education. th,third a departmental scheme based on the Department ofAdult Studies at Newton-le-WillowsCollege of Further Education, the fourthbased on an Adult Education Centrein North Trafford. The third partis concerned with the need for an understanding of the sociological andpsychological background of students and their implications fordiagnosis, placement, and the selection of resource materials. Itincludes a paper on the training of tutors. In the final partfocus is on what those initiating programs can gain fromthe experience of projects inother contexts. Two of thse papers dealwith the vital necessity for resourcesto be committg.d to research, and thepotential power of the public librarier i consolidating the teaching which is tobe done in the near futtire. (WL) ******************************************************************* Documents acquired by ERICinclude many informal unpublished effort * - materials notavailable from other sources. ERIC makes every * to obtain the best copyavailable. Nevertheless, items ofmarginal * * reproducibility are oftenencountered and this affects thequality * * of the microfiche and hardcopyreproductions ERIC makes available * via the ERIC DocumentReproduction Service (EDRS). EDRS is not - responsiblefor the quality of the originaldocument. Reproductions * * supplied by EDRS are the bestthat can be made from the original. *********************************************************************** RR. 7 PL.ujr-74 pciitor: R.y. OPHEALTH. &WELFAREOF U SDEPARTINT '" EDUCA:IONIN5T'TUTE REPRO NATIONALEDU. ' F R00, .11HE BCEN RECEIVEDORIGIN 1., ZA DON Opt-WAIN, ORINION`, EX,C11'lOP VIEW OR PEPE( D,,EPEN,ON 01 1,11 POINTSNIC4-`,SARILYINSTI7R7S NG 1,DO 001 DRPOLIC, L-.D',TED ICI:.LO,,DONAL ',ENT 0,(IONP0,1100 E 9 Gc) Bolton collegeofEciticatio.0 (71,chnica)) 2 Published by: Bolton College of Education (Technical) Chadwick Street Bolton 13L2 13W 1975 Printed by: Bthckshaw, Sykes and Morris Ltd P.O. 13o:. 18 Fktcher Street Bolton BL3 6NH Foreword No longer can our national r:presentatives 'hang their heads inmodesty' as they report that the United Kingdom has noproblem of illiteracy amongst adults.The halcyon days of the 1964 UNESCO World Conference have passed, for in the last decade we have become sensitive to a hidden problem that has yet to be properlyidentified.We are, however, beginning to recognise a major educational need in the corn- rnunity, one that is being identified as having a history of inability on the part of providers to formulate any effective solution. Post-school education has been characterised in recent decades by its ability to adapt its form to the evolving needs of a rapidly changing society.The challenge of adult literacy th..-ows down a gauntlet before further education colleges and adult education centres thatchallenges their meaningful role in the community. The taunts of narrow-minded, vocationalism on the one hand and dilettante activities on the other need to be met again as an educational issueof fundamental importance is thrust forward into the consciousness of society. Early in the frenetic preparations for the Autumn of 1975, theBolton College of Education (Technical), through its Extension StudiesUnit, provided a valuable opportunity for the consideration of the thoughts and experiences of workers who have been concerned with de relopingliteracy projects. This collection of papers is drawn from that course andextends the lectures and workshop activities. My thanks are due to theauthors for their valued contributions, to the College of Education(Technical) for the course and publication, and in particular to KenDixon and Audrey Warburton of the Extension Studies Unit without whoseefforts, advice and forbearance this publication would not have beenpossible. R. J. Kedney 4 Contents I 'ore w nd Part One - Introduction Rationale and Outline K. Dixon Adult Illiteracy Prof. M. D. Stephens The Nature and 1)imensions of the R. J. Kedney Problem The 11.B.C. Project Jenny Stevens Part Two - Aspects of Organisation and Management Adult Literacy SchemesModel for R. J. Kedney Analysis A I.ocal Authority ApproachLiverpool W. H. Butt A College Approach - The Reading Connie Timpson Centre at South Trafford (ollege and F. Ansell A I )cpartmental Approach - Newton- Elaine McMinnis ColleT,e of FT.. and J. L. Nicholson A Centre-based Approach The J. G. Peden Victoria Park Scheme Part Three - Preparation for Tuition Diagnostic Problems in Adult Literacy Laverne Pearson Recruitment - Students and Tutors J. Robinson Teaching Materials - Resoucees and R. J. Kedney Sources and Joan Boyes Tutors and their Training R. J. Kedrey EvaluationStudents and Projects R. J. Kedney Part Four - Looking to the Future The Design of Literacy Projects R. J. Kedney Some Variants The Lancashire County Programme R. Gray Proposals for a Programme of Action and and Development D. Selby The Army Approa.:h The School of Preliminary Education Research and Adult Literacy Projects A. R. Hembrough The Public Library and the R. Astbury Adult Illiterate The Response from Further EducationV. J. Sparrow Part One Introduction 6 i Rationale and Outline K. Dixon 'rile growing demand in the held ofadult literacy will undoubtedly receive added impetus from the series ofmotivational programmes to be shown on BBC TV this autumn. Local educationauthorities, colleges and voluntary aaencies Nvill be faced with theproblem of expanding provision at a time when all the demands are for stringencyand maintenance of the status quo if not for reduction.The.Adult Literacy Resource Agency, through its administration of the L liii grantaid, will give very welcome and much needed financial support, but before aliteracy project can be initiated tliere are many critical decisions tobe made. The primary aim of this collection of papers is to provideinformation that will both assist in the waking of such decisions, md also giveadvice on the on-going admin- istration and evaluation of projects. Before determining any move in thisfield, one must survey definitions of adult literacy, examine the dimensions of theproblem, come to some understanding of the potential impactof the BBC TV series, and realise the extent to which the colleges shouldand can meet the needs of the communities they serve.Such a study forms the first part ofthe collec- tion. The importance of ensurin7 that correctdecisions are made from the outset of a literacy project isunderlined by the characteristics of the potential students. They are likely tobe highly tutor-dependent and to thus making subsequent changes have low levels of tolerance of stress, the both difficult and stressful.Yet because rigidity can cause problems, decision making is complicated by thewide range of non-traditional options in terms of structure that arcavailable and essential.Currently there is very little expertise in the fieldof adult literacy generally, and in particular there is a lack ofextensive exploration of the implicationsof decisions in practiceIn the second part, therefore, adetailed study is made of four on-going projects; onebased on the Liverpool LEA, the second a college-based scheme at SouthTrafford Colkge of Further Edu- cation, the third a departmental schemebased on the Department of Adult 3 7 Studies ac Newton-le-Willows College GI Further Education,the tbu:th based on an Adult Education Centre in 1s7orth Trafford.Of course, de- cisions need to be particular and localised, and, therefore, the casestudies are ofi-ered as bases for dle analysisof-general principles rather than models for imitating. Th.2 third part is concerned with Ale need for an unchrstandingof the sociological and psychological background of students and theirimplica :ions for diagnosis, placement and the selection of resourcematerials, Particularly attention needs to be focussed upon the managementfactors that impinge directly on these three areas of decision making.IX/hatever decisions are made with regard to the structure of a project, success will be largely dependent on the competent and effectivetraining of tutors.At its first meeting, the Management Committee ofthe Adult Literacy Resource Agency saw such training as of tb.2 greatestpriority. This part therefore contains an important paper on the trainingof