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Distribution: limited

saudiarabia

Serial No. 1902/BMS. RD/EDAParis, May 1970

FR/TA/CONSULTANT

Literacy and Adult Education

1968-1969

by A. H. AI-Ani

unesco

I.

11.

Ill.

IV.

v.

TABLE OF CONTmrrS

'1'!1e Kingdom ot Saudi Arabia .

1.. I.,a,nd and people ..

2. Provinces and districts •.•.•...•

3.. Climate ..

4 .. Population ..

Economic and social development •••.•.••••••••••••••..•••••••••.••••••

Cultural values ..

MucatlO1lal system ..

Literaoy and adult education•••.••...•...•..••••..•.••••.•.•.•..••.••

1.. Ba.ckgI'olmd .

2.. Present situation .

,. Other ministries involved in adult education and literacy••••••••.

(i) ~istry of labour and social affairs •••••.•••••••••••••••••

(ii) Ministry of defgnce and aviation•••••••••••••••••.••••••••••

(iii) Ministry of the interior•••••••••.••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Page,,,,,,4

5

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777

VI. Experimental programmes for combating il.literacy in agricultural8lld Bedouin areas ................•.... 4 ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

1. Ba.ckgrolJlld. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • • . . . . •

2. Preliminary- preparations .

,. Literacy programme launched at Al-Sheek Valley/Abha •••••••••••••••

4. Literacy programme launched at Al-Kharma Valley/Al-Taif•••••••••••

5. Teacher-training course in 11teracy and adult education••••.•.••••

6. Results of the experimental literacy programmes •...•.•••.•••••.•.•

VII. Unesco consultant's contribution•••••••.•••••••.•.•••.•••••.•.••..•.•

~I. Ft1ture ID\lltl1ateral aid .

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-"-I. THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA

. 1. Land and people

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia occupies the greatest part of the Arabian Penin­sula. Its length from the Gulf of Aqaba to the Arabian Sea is about 1,400 milesand the width, through the narrower northern part between the Red Sea and theArabian Gulf is about 750 miles, but across the Southern part between the Red Seaand the Gulf of Oman is about 1,200 miles.

The area of the Kingdom is about 850,000 square miles. It is bounded. byJordan, Iraq and Kuwait on the north; Yemen, Aden and Oman on the south; theRed Sea on the west and the Arabian Sea on the east.

2. Provinces and districts

Geographically, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is divided into four districts,namely, Hijaz; NaJd; Asir and Al-Hasa. These districts are subdivided intoeighteen administrative provinces.

}. Climate

The coastal areas of the Arabian Peninsula are extremely humid and hot dur­ing·'nearly 8 months of the year. While the interior desert areas are less humid,the temperatures are more extreme W1th wide range between day and night. Theextreme temperatures along the Red Sea coast are occasionally relieved by lightWinds which blow from the northern west along this Sea. This coastal area alongthe Arabian Sea on'the east is affected by winds which blow from the overlandareas and as a consequence are hot and often laden with sand. There are, howeversome mountainous areas such areas like Taif, the sununer capital of the Kingdom,and: Abha where the climate is very mild dUi"ing summer.

4. Population

It is not easy to give an exact, or even an approximate figure of the popula­tion of Saudi Arabia, since the figures obtained from the various sources, bothnational and foreign,' are Widely varied. According to the Ministry of Education'sreports and statistical publications the population is estimated at more than 7million.

Most of Saudi Arabia's popUlation is concentrated in Widely scattered townsand'villages With a densi~ that averages 8 persons per square mile. The wideexpansion of land constitutes a big physical hinderance which has its impact onthe economic and social structure of the country. To overcome this obstacle, thegovernment has given great consideration to building roads in its developmentproJects. A net of asphalted highways and roads has been constructed to link allparts of the Kingdom. In addition to this, Saudi Arabian Airlines are maintain­ing ,flights almost to all main cities and towns, besides connecting the Kingdomwith the world abroad.

n. ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

1. Standards of living in Saudi Arabia has risen greatly. Gross nationalproduct is reported to be increasing at about ten per cent a year. Per capita

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income is estimated to have risen from the subsistence level in the late nine­teen forties to about $280 in 1966. This is based on rough estimates, for SaudiArabia is just beginning to develop the statistical data necessary for more ac­curate estimates.

2. The growing oil industry has provided a substantial flow of revenues forthe country. In recent years the government has placed increasing emphasis uponthe development of other sources of income. These sources are: agriculture,fishing, national industry, pilgrimage seasons and commerce.

3. Twenty per cent of the population in Saudi Arabia is Bedouin, and thispercentage is decreasing as young Bedouins obtain education and shift to urbanlife.

Ill. CULTURAL VALUES

1. Saudi Arabia enjoys a supreme spiritual position among the Muslims, forit is the birth place of Islam and the home of the Holiest places in the Muslimworld; Mecca, where Al-Kaaba exists and to which hundreds of thousands of Mus­lims come every year for pilgrimage, and Medina where the shrine of MOhammed, theProphet is located.

2. Islam is the source of legislation in Saudi Arabia, and on lines of Is­lamic teachings, transactions of daily life and relationships among people areestablished. All the population of Saudi Arabia have Arabic as their motherlanguage.

,. The Holy Koran is the source of legislation that regulates the relation­ships between the ruler and the people. It is obligatory that every Muslim read,learn and grasp the Koran. This, undoubtedly, helps create a strong motivationfor learning among the populace of the~1Imiil~e Muslim world. The history of SaudiArabia and the social and cultural aspects derive substantial material from theKoranic chapters. Educational system is imbued with ideas and values embodiedin the Koran, the Pi:-ophet's tradition and the sayings of the early followers ofthe prophet. The Koran receives special reverence of all Muslims. It is notonly the basic statement of the faith of Islam, but it also contains a compendiumof scientific and political documentation and the code of law which is the basicdocument for Islamic jurisprudence.

4. The holy day of Islam is Friday and in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia aswell as in other Muslim countries, it is the day of worship and rest. EveryFl'iday, Muslims go to the Mosque to say, their prayers and listen to the Fridaypreaching given by the Irnam (the religious leader) in which Islamic affairs andproper conduct of individuals and groups are emphasized.

All those values are to be observed by educational policy-makers and cur­riculum planners at all levels of the educational ladder. They form the basicfoundation for all aspects of life, and those elements of modern life and civil­ization essential to progress are accepted, provided they are not in contradic­tion With the accepted values.

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IV. EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM

'1. '!he Ministry of Education was originally a Directorate-General of Educa­tion established in 1931 as a part of the Ministry of the Interior. The Director­ate-General for Education became the Ministry of Education on 24 December 1953.

2. As stated by the law, the Ministry of Education, functioning \mder a mem­ber of the Council of Ministers has responsibility for education in the countryexcept for military schools, which are administered by the Ministry of Defenceand Aviation.

3. The Ministry of Education adopted a plan for bUilding a nation-wide schoolsystem which would establish a figurative pyramid for educational system. Theelementary programme would provide the br~d basic minimum of education for thelargest number of children. ThiS, in time, would reduce substantially illiteracyin the cO\mtry. Upon, this first stage of the educational ladder, all other stagesand levels are based: intermediate, secondary, vocational, teacher training,religious, military - all the way up to the university which stands on the top ofthis pyramid, and provides leadership for the various needs of the country. .

4. The ,tables below show clearly the steps taken by the government to imple­ment the educational system in· terms of budgetary allocation, and the rate ofgrowth in primary schools:

TABLE 1: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia - Ministry of Education - Budget totals. for the years 1377-1386 A.H. Corresponding to the years 1957-1967

Year-1377 A.H. 1957-1958

1378 A.H. '1958-1gt:..8

1379 A.H. 1959-1960

1380 A.H. 1960-1961

1381 A.H. 1961-1962

1382 A.H. 1962-1963

1383 A.H. 1963-19~

1384 A.H. 1964-1965

1385 A.H. 1965-1966

1386 A.H. 1966-1967

* $1 = S.R. 4.5

Amount in Riyals*

87,000,000

110,000,000

122, 068 , 000

137,012,000

170,046,021

218,491,278

301,279,255

367,494,552

377,618,538

389, 729,968

TABLE 2: Growth of elementary schools in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for theyears 1377-1378 A.H. (1957-1958 - 1386-1387 (1966-1967)

Year No. of schools-1377-1378 A.H. 1957-1958 547

1378-1379 A.H. 1958-1959 582

Serial No.1g02

No. of students

91,787

93.725

No. of'teachers

3,420

3,712

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Year No. of sohools No. of students No. of- teachers

1379-1}80 A.H. 1959-1960 600 95,960 4,0751380-1381 A.H. 1960-1961 712 104,203 4,9401381-1382 A.H. 1961-1962 834 122,955 6.5831382-1383 A.H. 1962-1963 938 139,328 7.5681383-1384 A.H. 1963-1964 1,024 156,780 8,3011384-1385 A.H. 1964-1965 1,072 174,514 8,7021385-1}86 A.H. 1965-1966 1, 1.14. 193,140 9,0491386-1387 A.H. 1966-1967 1,168 212.674 9,900

V. LITERACY AND ADULT EWCATION

1. Backgrotmd

Adult education in Saudi Arabia is mainly associated With religion. In itsbroad sense it has been practised for a long time in the form of groups or in-dividuals learning under the Sheikh or Imam (religious leader) in Mosques andholy places. or run by social and religious leaders. As a matter of fact thereare four traditional institutions whiCh can make the best places for adult educa­tion in the Muslim society. if properly organized. They are: (a) holy places;(b) Mosques; (c) Month of Ramadhan. and (d) Friday preachings.

When the government took up the responsibility for running literacy centres.it set up a number of rules regulating the activities in this field. A specialdepartment, that is, the department of popular culture, was set up in 1954 torun, direct, supervise and organize literacy and adult education activities. Be­sides, it provides reading materials and technical supervision for other minis­tries involved in adult education.

2. Present situation

Though there are no accurate figures as explained above, illiteracy estimate,according to the Ministry of Educationt s latest reports, is 75-80%.

At present, the Ministry of Education, Department of Popular Culture, runs600 adult education centres. With 41,000 adult enrollees. It draws the policy,sets the regulations, supervises and follows up the whole programme. :Further­more, this department is responsible for adult education actiVities of otherministries as will be shown later. The Department of Popular Culture is now de­veloping and expanding its programmes and plans with a view to doubling the en­rolment capacity of its centres, as shown in Table Ill. This new trend can beseen in the follOWing actiVities:

(a) Budgetary allocations which increased by 600,000 Riyals a year.

(b) Teacher-training courses in literacy and adult education programmes andactivities which have started as of this summer.

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( c) Intensive experimental literacy programmes in the remote areas of theKingdom where the percentage of illiteracy rioes up to 95~. Two pro­grammes have been organized this summer, as will be explained below.

(d) Plans are under way to start teaching adults how to read and writethrough television. This will be carried. out after all necessary pre­parations are completed.

(e) Introducing "adult education" as an essential subject to students of thesecondary Social serVice Institute in Riyadh.

(f) Drafting a new law defining the responsibilities of both governmental~d non-governmental agencies and. establishments in taking their part incombating illiteracy among their employers and workers.

(g) Reviewing the eurriculum currently applied and providing the authoritiesconcerned with the newly drafted curriculum for approval.

,. 9ther ministries involved in adult education and literacy

Other ministri~s involved in literacy and adult education programmes are:

(i) Ministry of labour and social affairs

This ministry conducts 17 community development and social service centres.The cultural divisions of the programmes of those centres are under the directsupervision of·the Ministry of Education which appoints an educational specialistto each centre. He is in charge of collecting data, conducting educational sur­vey, and organizing cultural meetings and literacy services to meet the needs ofthe.community. This educational specialist also supervises literacy and adulteducation centres located in the area surrounding the comnnmity developmentcentres.

(ii) Ministr-t of defence and aviation

This ministry has a special department responsible for the cultural affairsof the arme4 forces. They run literacy classes for their soldiers, and the Min­istry ot Education provides them with reading materials and technical supervision.Last year, the Department of Popular culture drew I upon the request of the Min­istry of Defence a programme for an &dult education training course for the army.

(iii) Ministry of the interior

The National Guard and the Security Departments have also cultural programmesand adult education centres for the police and the National Guard. The Ministryof Education supplies the classes With reading materials and guidance. It is tobe noted that the salaries of administrators and teachers in those schools arepaid by the Ministry of Defence.

(iv) There are other departments carrying out literacy programmes though ona small scale such as prisons, and agriculture training departments.

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in the total number shown below:

TABLE 3: Statistical data on adult education showing the growth of' literacycentres in the last ten years:

Year No. of' No. of' Adult learnersLiteracy centres teachers enrollees

139-1380 A.H. 1959-1960 66 279 7,1671380-1381 A.H. 1960-1961 88 329 9,2201381-1382 A.H. 1961-1962 183 598 16,843

•1382-1383 A.H. 1962-1963 204 764 21,5771383-1384 A.H. 1963-1964 254 864 23,9271384-1385 A.H. 1964-1965 385 1,186 32,4691385-1386 A.H. 1965-1966 397 1,369 33,3741386-1387 A.H. 1966-1967 508 2,561 37,6891387-1388 A.H. 1967-1968 550 2,250 34,8241388-1389 A.H. 1968-1969 559 2,801 35,130

TABLE 4: Growth in budgetary allocations, number of schools f'or literacy,and number of' students, expected within the five years starting1388-1389 (1968-1969) as estimated in the f'ive-year plan:

Year No. of schools Increase in No. of Budgetary- students expected allocation in S.A.

1388-1389 A.H. 1968-1969 590 40,324 2,688,7201389-1390 A.H. 1969-1970 +40 +5,900 2,995,1201390-1391 A.H. 1970-1971 +40 +6,100 3,312,'7201391-1392 A.H. 1971-1972 +40 +6,300 3,639,1201392-1393 A.H. 1972-1973 +40 +6,500 3,975,192

TOTAL 750 65,124 16,610,800 for al-lowances

3,566,940 forlight-

20,177,740 ing

VI. EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAMVJES FOR COMBt\TING ILLITERACY INAGRICULTURAL AND BEOOUIN AREAS

1. Background

'lbe idea of extending services to remote areas in the Kingdom stems from thepolicy of the Government of Saudi Arabia which seeks to provide better livingconditions for all its citizens regardless of their mode of' life, social status,or geographical zones. Education is the backbone of all other services and so it

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is the most urgent need for ·those groups of population who have been deprivedfrom the benefits of education for a long time - a fact which has caused il­literacy percentage to rise as high as 95% among the inhabitants of those ratherisolated areas.

To tackle this l.ife-long problem, it was decided to start an experimentalprogramme for those citizens Who settle temporarily during the summer in certainplaces near water-wells and oases. The first venture was to set up a literacyprogramme at Khoa village in Al-Jof area in the northem parts of the Kingdom,during summer 1967. Though the outcome of the experiment was not encouraging,because of certain circumstances and conditions during that particular summer,yet' a motivation was cr~ated to resume the experiment in other areas. The re­port on this programnie gives some valuable experience gained from it, such astraining a good number of workers in this field of adult education and orientingthem to this type of work .

. 2. ~iminary preparations

The Ministry of Education, Department of Popular Culture, issued a circularto all distriot ed.uca.tional offices in the Kingdom (2} in all), requesting themto make an investigation in their areas as to the possibility of launching an in­tensive literacy programme among the Bedouins who settled during summer nearwat~r-wells and oases. In the light of the information received, two areas werechoseI;l: Al-Sheek Valley in Abha area and AI-Rharma Valley in AI-Taif area. Toascertain the suitability of the chosen places for the purpose, visits were madeto the localities by the consultant and the assistant director of the PopularCulture Department. They surveyed the chosen Villages and. contacted the respon­sible authorities and some of the people dwelling there. They came to the conclu­sion that, it was expected to have good results out of the proposed programmes.They. reported to the Minister of Education who approved the projects as well asthe plans conceming adminlstrative and financial procedures necessary for theimplementation of the programmes and the teacher-training' course.

}. Literacy programme launched at Al-Sheek ValleyJAbha• A ,

The p~ogramme aimed at teaching those people reading and writing besidesg1ving them general information and some social services. The report made by thesocial worker who surveyed the area $ows the follOWing facts:

There are seven villages lying on both sides of the valley.

The number of families inhabiting these Villages is 2r. with a total num­ber of inhabitants amounting to 1,725 (829 males and 90 females).

Percentage of illiteracy among these people is more than 95% and women arecompletely illiterate.

There is only one primary school newly opened with only two classes for thefirst and second grades; and two primary schools lying some 12-14 kilo­metres far from the place.

The people have strong religious feeling and great desire to leam and havetheir children schooled.

The main oocupation practised is agriculture and Sheep raising.

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Most of the houses are built of mud and straw, and there are some who livein tents.

Women help a lot in earning family living by working on the farms and/orraising sheep.

When the programme was commenced in summer 1969, people came in great num­bezs shOWing interest in learning and enrolled at the four centres opened in thearea. More than 500 enrolled, but only about 400 adult learners continued tillthe end of the programme which lasted 3 months, 5 days a week. There were tworhour sessions going on, one in the morning, the other in the evening. Twentyteachers, trained over a short period, taught these adult learners. Each groupof learners chose the time most suitable to·their conditions~ .

The lessons concentrated mainly on the three Rs during the first month.After mastering the skills of reading, instruction on general information spc­cially religion, was introduced. Religion was accorded special considerationbeing the society1s centre of interest.

The primer reader used was prepared mainly to be experimented in this pro­gramme. It wallS based on the global method of teaching beginners how to read andwrite.

Adult learners made such a good progress in their lessons despite the dif­ficulties they encolIDtered in their daily life. The Amir (Governor) of the areaand the director of the educational zone at Abha visited the classes and weresatisfied with their progress.

4. Literacy programme lalIDched at Al-Kharma Valley/Al-Taif

Al-Kharma Valley which was chosen for the second experimental literacy pro­gramme during the same summer (1969), extends for about 32 kilometres, with smallvillages on both sides of the Valley. Most of the people living there in thearea are farmers/and/or raising sheep, goats and camels. A preliminary surveymade on short Visits, by a social worker in the area shows that the percentage ofilliteracy among the inhabitants, reaches up to 95%. There are two primaryschools and one intermediate school, but not within easy reach of the villagerswho live far from Al-Kharma town which lies in the centre. The population of thewhole area is estimated at more than 5,000, and they may reach up to 10,000 whenthe Bedouins go there from various regions.

The purpose of the programme was to extend services to the remote areas in. line with the government policy. Learning to read and write has the priority

among other services.

These are some aspects of the experimental literacy programme which con­tinued for three months, at Al-Kharma in Taif:

Adult illiterates attending the classes regularly were 700.

Literacy centres opened on both sides of the Valley were 18, and the classeswere conducted in the evenings which suited them.

Teachers and administrators who were involved in these classes were 20, andwere transported daily from the town to the centres.

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Th~ daily programme consisted of reading, writing, arithmetic and generalinformation; the main focus being on religion.

A physician Joined in the programme to conduct medical survey of the peoplein or around the literaoy centres, and to render medical services and hy­gienio instructions to those people. His prescence was of gl"'eat value be­cause it attracted more people to benefit from the services pl~ovided.

5. Teacher-training course in literacy and adult education

1. Sixty primary school teachers and administrators, recruited from variousareas of the Kingdom, participated in this course which was held in Abha City inthe summer of 1969. It was the first of' its kind held in the Kingdom. The mainpurposes of this course were:

(1) To train those teachers in the activities of literaoy and. adult eduoa­tion, both theory and practice

(2) to assign them, after having been proVided with the theoretical baok­ground, to do teaching practice in the literacy centres which were con­ducted simultaneously with the teaching course, at Al-Sheek Valley, about65 kilometres from the centre of the course.

2. The programme of the training course included theoretical subjects deal­ing with various aspects -:)f literacy and adult education, with special emphasison the development of literacy and adult education in the country. Furthermore,a special arrangement was made, according to the time-tables below, for one month'sintensive teaching practice.

3. The consultant and four specialists from the Department of Popular Cul­ture including the director, participated in running the course.

4. Teachers participating in the course were greatly interested and the ex­perience they gained from it has been helpful.

The time-table below summarizes the activities of the course.

6. Results of the experimental literacy programmes

The results can be surmnarized as follows:

1. Bedouins and inhabitants of remote areas can be reached and taught, pro­vided they have the motivation and desire for learning.

2. Transportation for teachers and workers is necessary in order to facili­tate frequent visits to these areas and to run the classes "regularly.

3. A well trained and devoted teaoher is the key factor to success especiallyunder these difficult circumstances. Teacher- training courses in literacyand adult education are therefore necessary.

4. Bedouins as well as agricultural workers have the potential!ty and thedesire to leam; so, they must be given priority when planning conummitydevelopment projects.

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WEEKLY TIME-TABLE FX)R THE TEACHER-TRAININGSUMMER COURSE, 1969 - ABHA

Group rtArt Group "B" Group "cn

Morning session Evening session . The same

8-9 9:15 - 10:15 5-0 7-~time-table Teaching

PracticeSaturday Methods and Eduoational and Illiteracy Audio visual (for one

Materials in Social Studies in Aids month)Adult Educa- Adult Educationtion

Sunday Education and Audio visual aids Methods and IlliteracySocial Studies Materials inin Adult Edu- Adult Educa-cation tion

Monday Methods & Materials in Adult Edu- Illiteracy Audio vis-oation ual aids

Tuesday Aud. Vis. Methods and Mate- Education and Social StudiesAids r1als in Adult in Adult Education

EducationWednesday Methods and Aud. Vis. Aids Illiteracy

Materials inAdult Educa-tion

Thursday Aud. Vis. Aids Extra-Curric. Activities

Notes: 1. Each group was composed of 20 teachers

2. This time-table was drawn in such a flexibility that each group took two months' theoreticalSUbjects, and does teaching practices for one month, alternatively.

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5. A literaoy programme should be based on the felt needs of the commmityand drawn in such a flexibility as to suit the life conditions, occupa­tion, social and economic background of the people.

6. A follow-up programme to ensure retention of learning beyond the durationof the 11teracy programme is necessary. '!his oan be achieved through:opening schools; distributing reading materials suitable to their stan­dard and frequent guidance visits.

7. SUpporting services, such as health, agrioulture and sooial guidanoe, areof graat value, if organized to go hand in hand with the teachingactivities.

8. Budgeting allooations to meet all expenses and raising the bonuses paidto the workers in this field, have good effects on the outcome.

9. Mass media and audio- visual aids must be adequately prepared throughoutthe programme.

~ Other ministries and private bodies must partioipate in the programme,especially those concemed with community development.

VII. UNESCO CONSULTANT'S CONTRIBJTION

During his stay in Saudi Arabia, the Unesco consultant on literacy and adulteducation, advised the Ministry of Education on matters and problems connectedwith the present programme. Specifically, he participated in the followingactiVities:

Drawing a plan for the experimental literacy programmes discussed earlier.

Drawing the programme for the rmonth teacher-training course, and leotur­ing on: adult education - oonoept, development and objectives; motivationfor adult leaming; Unesco and its actiVities; new approaches to literacyand adult education.

Assisting other committee members, in reviewing the curriculum for literacyand adult education, and formulating a new curriculum to be approved by theauthorities concerned.

Assisting a special commlttee in drafting legislation regulating lit.eracyand adult education activities in the Kingdom through the contribution ofgovernmental as well as private bodies and establiShments .

Assisting another committee in planning a programme for the Secondary 80cial­Work Centre, at Riyadh, in which "adult education" has been introduced forthe first time as an obligatory subject for study.

Advising the Ministry of Education on the implementation of the idea of' in­troducing i1adult educationfl as an obligatory subJeot in teacher-traininginstitutes and colleges of education in the Kingdom.

Drafting a plan for a national training centre for literacy and adult educa­tion to provide leadership in this field to meet the growing needs of thecountry.

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VIII. FUTURE AID

It will be seen from what has been explained in this report that the Unescoconsultant has endeavoured to pave the way for possible expansion and work­orientation of the literacy programme in the Kingdom of saudi Arabia. His aimwas to help the authorities concerned in working out and implementing a plan andprogramme of literacy activities including teacher training and to contribute tothe revision of the curricula pertaining to literacy and the drafting of a planfor national training centres for literacy.

In the light of this situation, it is recommended that the national literacyprogramme be reinforoed.by an expert in literacy and adult eduoation under TACountry Programme. His responsibilit1es will include, among other things, anoverall study of the existing literacy situation for the purpose of planning andhelping initiate preliminary operations that would integrate functional literacyinto the development of agricultural and industrial sectors, inoluding the re­organization of literacy centres already in operation. '!he expert will alsoadvise the authorities concerned on infrastructural improvements, inclUding thosefor evaluation, training, media and methods employed in functional literacy.Furthermore, he will render guidance on interdisciplinary and interministerialco-operation to obtain maximum support tor the functional literacy programmeenvisaged.

It should be added that two fellowships are also recommended in support ofthe literacy and adult education programme.

We also believe that with the technical assistance recommended here itwould be possible for the government to embark on other activities in this field.

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