Writing the Wrongs International Benchmarks on Adult Literacy BASED ON RESEARCH FUNDED BY THE EDUCATION FOR ALL GLOBAL MONITORING REPORT 2006 & UNESCO NOVEMBER 2005 David Archer [email protected] ActionAid International Hamlyn House MacDonald Road Archway London N19 5PG UK Lucia Fry [email protected] Global Campaign for Education PO Box 521733 Saxonwold Johannesburg 2132 South Africa www.actionaid.org www.campaignforeducation.org CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Acknowledgements This report has been compiled by David Archer of ActionAid WHY WE MUST INVEST IN Illiteracy is a violation of the ✱ Adult literacy is critical for the International based on a major survey and research project developed ADULT LITERACY NOW fundamental human right to healthy development and education by the Global Campaign for Education. The research was led by David Executive Summary 1 There are nearly one billion adults education. But if that is not argument of children, especially girls. Each Archer and conducted by Yaikah Jeng under the guidance of a research coordination team made up of Maria Nandago (Pamoja, who cannot read and write, according enough, the Global Campaign for extra year of education for mothers is 1. The Global Context 7 Uganda), Gorgui Sow (ANCEFA, Senegal), Julie Adu Gyamfi (ActionAid to UNESCO statistics. The real figure Education believes that there are five associated with a significant decline in Ghana), Vera Ribeiro (Acao Educativa, Brazil), Menaka Roy (ASPBAE is probably nearer to two billion 1 and compelling practical reasons for infant mortality and improved child- 2. Overview of the Process 11 India) , Nitya Rao (UEA / India) and Anne Jellema (Global Campaign still more if numeracy and the actual governments and donors to invest health 3. More literate parents raise for Education). Significant support was also received from other use of these skills are taken into now in adult literacy: more literate children. Children with active members of GCE, notably from Maria Khan and Charles Abani. 3. The Benchmarks: Evidence and Support 15 Many thanks are also due to Jude Fransman and Steve Packer at the account. Most of these are people parents (especially mothers) who can 1. Defining literacy 15 EFA Global Monitoring Report and Namtip Aksornkool at UNESCO all living in extreme poverty. Almost two- ✱ Literacy is vital to reducing gender 1 Official UNESCO statistics put the figure at 2. Continuity of learning 19 of whom made substantial contributions to the research and thirds are women, and nearly 1 in 5 is inequality. Literacy increases women’s 771 million but the figures are notoriously analysis. Thanks are also due to the 100 original informants, the 67 3. Governing literacy: 22 a young person between 15 and 24. participation in both private and public unreliable, depending on self-reporting. literacy programmes who completed the detailed survey and the 142 4. Evaluating literacy programmes 27 Yet these people have been spheres, in household decision- Wherever rigorous measurements are taken individuals who responded to the draft benchmarks (all of whom are 5. Facilitator pay 31 abandoned in recent decades. making, community affairs and as the figures are significantly higher. listed in full in the appendix). Finally thanks are due to Emma Pearce 2 See for example, Stromquist 2005, 6. Facilitator recruitment and development 33 for her careful editing. Although governments worldwide have active citizens in national life. Adult Brown 1990 7. Ratios and timing 37 signed up to a UN goal that promises literacy programmes have a dramatic 3 See for example Caldwell 1979, Sandiford The Global Campaign for Education is a coalition of NGOs and trade 8. Multilingual contexts 41 a 50% reduction in illiteracy by 2015, impact on women’s self-esteem, 1995, Burchfield 2002, Robinson Pant 2005 9. Participatory methods 43 unions working in over 100 countries for the right to free, good they are investing scandalously little empowering them to unlock economic, quality education for all. GCE is a member of the UN Girls’ Education 10. The literate environment 45 in programmes to deliver that goal. social, cultural and political resources 2. BELOW Afganistan Initiative, the Global Call to Action Against Poverty and the Global 11. Costs per learner 46 Coalition on Women and AIDS. 12. Financing literacy 48 This is an independent report and does not necessarily reflect the 4. Some Stories / Examples 51 views of all members. Regional and international National civil society coalitions 5. Conclusions 55 members Bangladesh: CAMPE ActionAid International Brazil: CDE Appendices: 58 ANCEFA Burkina Faso: CCEB 1. List of respondents to survey 58 ASPBAE Canada: Canadian GCE Alliance 2. List of respondents to benchmarking 60 CAMFED El Salvador: CIAZO 3. List of original informants 63 CARE France: Solidarité Läique CEAAL Gabon: CONCEG 4. Original survey format 64 Education International Gambia: GEFA 5. References 79 FAPE Ghana: GNECC FAWE India: NCE Fe y Alegria Indonesia: E-Net for Justice Global March Against Child Ireland: Irish GCE Coalition Labour Japan: JNNE Ibis Kenya: Elimu Yetu Coalition Inclusion International Lesotho: LEFA NetAid Liberia: ALPO Oxfam International Malawi: CSCQBE PLAN International Mali: ASSAFE Public Services International Mozambique: MEPT REPEM Nigeria: CSACEFA Save the Children Alliance Pakistan: EFA Network SightSavers International Sierra Leone: EFA Network VSO Sweden: Swedish EFA Forum World Alliance of Girl Guides and South Africa: GCE-SA ACRONYMS Girl Scouts Tanzania: TEN/MET World Vision International Togo: CNT/CME UK: UK GCE Group EFA Education for All Zam EFA GMR Education For All Global Monitoring Report GCE Global Campaign for Education MDG Millennium Development Goal' NGO Non Governmental Organisation UPE Universal Primary Education Jenny Matthews/ ActionAid 1 read and write stay in school longer This is reinforced by recent research, simply cannot teach adults, at least THE BENCHMARKS They should: for at least two years). and achieve more 4. not least the studies commissioned not in large-scale programmes. This The benchmarks that are set out - ensure cooperation across all by the EFA Global Monitoring Report is nonsense. It is contradicted by the below are designed to facilitate relevant ministries and links to all 8. In multi-lingual contexts it is ✱ Literacy is vital to human and 2006. This demolishes any remaining successes of many past adult literacy serious planning to achieve the Dakar relevant development programmes, important at all stages that learners economic development. Improving excuse for governments and donors to programmes, particularly in post- ‘Education for All’ goal of a 50% - work in systematic collaboration with should be given an active choice literacy levels would deliver significant avoid their responsibilities to the revolutionary contexts where there reduction in adult illiteracy by 2015, experienced civil society organisations, about the language in which they economic benefits both for individuals world’s illiterate youth and adults. was real political will and sustained which has been endorsed by 185 - ensure links between all these learn. Active efforts should be and for countries. Multi-country momentum. But precisely because so governments around the world. agencies, especially at the local level, made to encourage and sustain studies show clear connections Literacy, in short, is the fertilizer few programmes are now ongoing, it They have been developed by and bilingual learning. between literacy levels in a country needed for development and has been difficult to find more recent experts in adult literacy from around - ensure relevance to the issues in and both economic output and GDP democracy to take root and grow. evidence of success, particularly in the world and are based on responses learners’ lives by promoting the 9. A wide range of participatory per capita growth5. By the same token, It is the invisible ingredient in any a simple and practical form that to a global survey of effective adult decentralisation of budgets and of methods should be used in the current high rates of illiteracy among successful strategy for eradicating planners and policy-makers can use7. literacy programmes. decision-making over curriculum, learning process to ensure active women and the poor are limiting the poverty. Unfortunately, in recent years methods and materials. engagement of learners and relevance impact of programmes designed to it has become all too invisible. This study is the largest-ever attempt We hope these benchmarks will to their lives. These same boost livelihoods, improve incomes, to systematise experience of what provide a starting point for policy 4. It is important to invest in ongoing participatory methods and processes protect the environment, deliver clean The UN Education for All (EFA) goals, works in adult literacy. We analyzed dialogue between governments, feedback and evaluation mechanisms, should be used at all levels of training water, promote civic participation and as agreed in Jomtien in 1990 and re- 67 successful literacy programmes funding agencies, NGOs, and those data systematization and strategic of trainers and facilitators. democracy, and fight killer diseases. affirmed at Dakar in 2000 include a in 35 countries in order to see whether adults who have been deprived of their research. The focus of evaluations Unless the intended target group strong commitment to lifelong learning they shared any common features that