Statistics
from the UNESCO Principal Office for Asia and
the Pacific show that seventy-five percent of
the world's illiterate population live in the
Asia and the Pacific Region. It is generally observed
that in many developing countries of the Region,
the two major goals of education, which are the
provision of basic education for all and the eradication
of illiteracy by the Year 2000, still remain distant
targets looming far away on the horizon.
The
First Asian Literacy Regional Forum held
in Manila, Philippines was conceptualized in the
context of this educational landscape in the region
which faces enormous challenges especially in
adult literacy. Designed to review problems and
explore prospects of creating a more literate
environment in Asia, the Forum provided a venue
for sharing of insights and for networking among
policy makers, planners, implementors and evaluators
of adult literacy programs and projects.
The
two issues of the INNOTECH Journal for 1997 contain
selected papers presented during the Forum.
Some
of the country experiences which provided substantial
springboard for discussion and analysis during
the Forum are presented in this issue (Part 1).
"Are
the Ideas of Learning Keiar PacketA of Indonesia
Still Valid?" presents some of the reasons
for the continued acceptance of Learning Kejar
Packet A through its twenty years of existence.
Most notable of these reasons is that the program
takes into consideration the real-life situation
and values of the Indonesian people, making the
program close to the hearts of the beneficiaries.
"Literacy
in Malaysia: Innovations and Development to Meet
Vision 2020" stresses the importance
of human resource development and the need to
develop a highly skilled and highly literate workforce
to achieve the national development goals of Malaysia.
It also discusses the major findings of a study
on reading habits in the country, specifically
the va]ue of developing the habit of reading among
the very young.
"The
Philippine Department of Education, Culture and
Sports (DECS) Planning Agenda in the Eradication
of Illiteracy" discusses the planning
framework of the DECS which is anchored on the
pursuit of quality basic education for all. It
details the Department's Master Plan for Basic
Education designed to address the balanced development
of the Filipino child particularly in terms of
literacy and numeracy. Efforts to eradicate illiteracy
in the country are characterized by integrated
efforts of the three major service delivery arms
of basic education -- the Bureau of Elementary
Education, the Bureau of Secondary Education and
the Bureau of Nonformal Education -- in corroborative
interface with major stakeholders.
"Overview
of the Language and Illiteracy Issues in Singapore"
describes Singapore's education and literacy policies,
especially the focus on developing a workforce
that can respond quickly to the changing market
demands. The country has four major ethnic groups
with different languages. A bi-lingual policy
is enforced, and every student should learn English
and one native language at the same time. This
policy is envisaged to facilitate the capacity-building
of the human resource of the country.
"Literacy
in Thailand Project: A Lighthouse Project in Asia"
shows the features of a Thai literacy project
which uses the Concentrated Language Encounter
(CLE) technique. Encouraged by the positive results
of this technique, the Government has decided
to adopt the project concept for the whole country.
"National
Literacy Policy from an Industrialized Perspective"
gives the primary attributes of the Australian
educational system, specifically its focus on
meeting the country's industry needs. Literacy
work in the country responds to three overarching
concerns: literacy for personal pursuits, literacy
for civic and cultural participation and literacy
for the economy.
These
country experiences highlight success stories
as well as pitfalls from which lessons may be
drawn by stakeholders in adult literacy and continuing
education. |
