This report is based upon a research project into support for the production of post-literacy materials which the ODA commissioned in December 1992. The research was conducted by a team consisting of myself and Dr Fred Eade (an independent consultant in publishing), Professor Viv Edwards (University of Reading), Deryn Holland (Assistant Education Officer (Staff Development), Buckinghamshire County Council), Juliet Millican (Director of Access courses, Hastings College), Dr Pat Norrish (University of Reading), Ms Gil Skidmore (University Library, University of Reading) and Dr Brian Street (University of Sussex). Field visits were made by members of the team to South Africa, India, Germany and the Netherlands, and correspondence was conducted with many agencies in the UK and overseas. This paper therefore owes a great deal to the work of these persons and of course to others, both in the UK and abroad, with whom we discussed the issues.
With reference to the language of this report, the research team agreed that it disliked the term 'post-literacy'; the word gives credence to a sequential approach to the acquisition of literacy skills which our research indicated is inappropriate. However, we decided to retain the term in this report to indicate to those who read it that what we are talking about is that programme of assistance which is offered to adults who have already developed basic skills in reading and writing and who need and want further assistance with their literacy practices. Any discussion of these matters will of course lead us also to discuss approaches to basic literacy instruction for adults and to matters of what is sometimes called 'continuing education'. But the main focus of our studies relates to that programme of assistance which comes alongside or which follows initial literacy teaching and which many people in all parts of the world call 'post-literacy'.
This last point is most important in relation to the case studies. These have been presented as far as possible using the words which the respondents used. They therefore sometimes contain terms and concepts which the research team would in general not have used (such as 'illiterates', 'neo-literates', or language levels and stages of literacy). To have changed these terms and concepts would have been to change the meanings which our respondents see in their work. But we do wish to stress that we do not always agree with the ideas within the case studies or the language with which they have been expressed.
All the case studies have been abbreviated for this publication. Those who wish for more detail are referred to the full report, copies of which are lodged with ODA.
Alan Rogers
Education for Development
Acknowledgements: The following illustrations are reproduced with acknowledgements and thanks to: photograph on back of title page - UNESCO; Fig. 1, Mina Smiles - PROAP; BOBP materials - BOBP, Madras; photograph on page Dr P Kiirya of LABE, Uganda.
