Distribution: limited

•

saudi arabia

FR/TA/CONSULTANT

Literacy and Adult Education

1968-1969 by A. H. AI-Ani

Serial No. 1902/BMS. RD/EDA Paris, May 1970

unesco

TABLE OF CONTmrrS

, ,, , , ,

Page

I.

11.

'1'!1e Kingdom ot Saudi Arabia

.

1.. I.,a,nd and people

..

2. Provinces and districts •.•.•...• 3.. Climate 4 . Population

.. ..

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

Ill. Cultural values

.

4

IV. MucatlO1lal system

..

5

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

6

1.. Ba.ckgI'olmd

.

2.. Present situation

.

6 6 7

v.

,. 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 •••••••••.•••••••••••••••••••••••••• VI.

Experimental programmes for combating il.literacy in agricultural 8lld 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

serial No. 1902

.

7 7 7 8

8 9 9 10 11

11

l'

14

- "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 miles and the width, through the narrower northern part between the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf is about 750 miles, but across the Southern part between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Oman is about 1,200 miles. The area of the Kingdom is about 850,000 square miles. It is bounded. by Jordan, Iraq and Kuwait on the north; Yemen, Aden and Oman on the south; the Red 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 into eighteen 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 W1 th wide range between day and night. The extreme temperatures along the Red Sea coast are occasionally relieved by light Winds which blow from the northern west along this Sea. This coastal area along the Arabian Sea on'the east is affected by winds which blow from the overland areas and as a consequence are hot and often laden with sand. There are, however some 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, both national and foreign,' are Widely varied. According to the Ministry of Education's reports and statistical publications the population is estimated at more than 7 million. Most of Saudi Arabia's popUlation is concentrated in Widely scattered towns and'villages With a densi~ that averages 8 persons per square mile. The wide expansion of land constitutes a big physical hinderance which has its impact on the economic and social structure of the country. To overcome this obstacle, the government has given great consideration to building roads in its development proJects. A net of asphalted highways and roads has been constructed to link all parts of the Kingdom. In addition to this, Saudi Arabian Airlines are maintaining ,flights almost to all main cities and towns, besides connecting the Kingdom with the world abroad.

n.

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

1. Standards of living in Saudi Arabia has risen greatly. Gross national product is reported to be increasing at about ten per cent a year. Per capita Serial No. 1902

- 4 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 Saudi Arabia 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 for the country. In recent years the government has placed increasing emphasis upon the 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 this percentage is decreasing as young Bedouins obtain education and shift to urban life. Ill. CULTURAL VALUES 1. Saudi Arabia enjoys a supreme spiritual position among the Muslims, for it is the birth place of Islam and the home of the Holiest places in the Muslim world; 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, the Prophet 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 are established. All the population of Saudi Arabia have Arabic as their mother language. ,. 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 motivation for learning among the populace of the~1Imiil~e Muslim world. The history of Saudi Arabia and the social and cultural aspects derive substantial material from the Koranic chapters. Educational system is imbued with ideas and values embodied in the Koran, the Pi:-ophet's tradition and the sayings of the early followers of the prophet. The Koran receives special reverence of all Muslims. It is not only the basic statement of the faith of Islam, but it also contains a compendium of scientific and political documentation and the code of law which is the basic document for Islamic jurisprudence.

4. The holy day of Islam is Friday and in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as well as in other Muslim countries, it is the day of worship and rest. Every Fl'iday, Muslims go to the Mosque to say, their prayers and listen to the Friday preaching given by the Irnam (the religious leader) in which Islamic affairs and proper 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 basic foundation 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.

Serial No. 1902

- 5 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 country except for military schools, which are administered by the Ministry of Defence and Aviation. 3. The Ministry of Education adopted a plan for bUilding a nation-wide school system which would establish a figurative pyramid for educational system. The elementary programme would provide the br~d basic minimum of education for the largest number of children. ThiS, in time, would reduce substantially illiteracy in the cO\mtry. Upon, this first stage of the educational ladder, all other stages and levels are based: intermediate, secondary, vocational, teacher training, religious, military - all the way up to the university which stands on the top of this 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 of growth 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

Amount in Riyals*

1377 A.H. 1957-1958

87,000,000

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

110,000,000

1379 A.H. 1959-1960

122, 068 , 000

1380 A.H. 1960-1961

137,012,000

1381 A.H. 1961-1962

170,046,021

1382 A.H. 1962-1963

218,491,278

1383 A.H. 1963-19~

301,279,255

1384 A.H. 1964-1965

367,494,552

1385 A.H. 1965-1966

377,618,538

1386 A.H. 1966-1967

389, 729,968

*

$1 = S.R. 4.5

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

-

Year

No. of schools

No. of students

No. of 'teachers

1377-1378 A.H. 1957-1958

547

91,787

3,420

1378-1379 A.H. 1958-1959

582

93.725

3,712

Serial No.1g02

- 6Year

No. of sohools

-

1379-1}80 1380-1381 1381-1382 1382-1383 1383-1384 1384-1385 1385-1}86 1386-1387 V.

A.H. 1959-1960 A.H. 1960-1961 A.H. 1961-1962 A.H. 1962-1963 A.H. 1963-1964 A.H. 1964-1965 A.H. 1965-1966 A.H. 1966-1967

600 712 834 938 1,024 1,072 1, 1.14. 1,168

No. of students

No. of teachers

95,960 104,203 122,955 139,328 156,780 174,514 193,140 212.674

4,075 4,940 6.583 7.568 8,301 8,702 9,049 9,900

LITERACY AND ADULT EWCATION

1. Backgrotmd Adult education in Saudi Arabia is mainly associated With religion. In its broad sense it has been practised for a long time in the form of groups or individuals learning under the Sheikh or Imam (religious leader) in Mosques and holy places. or run by social and religious leaders. As a matter of fact there are 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 special department, that is, the department of popular culture, was set up in 1954 to run, 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 Education t s latest reports, is 75-80%. At present, the Ministry of Education, Department of Popular Culture, runs

600 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 other ministries 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 be seen 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 and activities which have started as of this summer. Serial No. 1902

- 7( c) Intensive experimental literacy programmes in the remote areas of the Kingdom 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 write through television. This will be carried. out after all necessary preparations are completed. (e) Introducing "adult education" as an essential subject to students of the secondary 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 in combating illiteracy among their employers and workers.

(g) Reviewing the eurriculum currently applied and providing the authorities concerned 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 direct supervision of·the Ministry of Education which appoints an educational specialist to each centre. He is in charge of collecting data, conducting educational survey, and organizing cultural meetings and literacy services to meet the needs of the.community. This educational specialist also supervises literacy and adult education centres located in the area surrounding the comnnmity development centres. (ii) Ministr-t of defence and aviation This ministry has a special department responsible for the cultural affairs of 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 programmes and adult education centres for the police and the National Guard. The Ministry of Education supplies the classes With reading materials and guidance. It is to be noted that the salaries of administrators and teachers in those schools are paid by the Ministry of Defence. (iv) There are other departments carrying out literacy programmes though on a small scale such as prisons, and agriculture training departments.

Serial No. 1902

- 8 Statistically, all adult literacy centres already mentioned, are included in the total number shown below: TABLE 3:

Statistical data on adult education showing the growth of' literacy centres in the last ten years: No. of' Literacy centres

Year

66 88 183 204 254 385 397 508 550 559

139-1380 A.H. 1959-1960 1380-1381 A.H. 1960-1961 1381-1382 A.H. 1961-1962 1382-1383 A.H. 1962-1963 1383-1384 A.H. 1963-1964 1384-1385 A.H. 1964-1965 1385-1386 A.H. 1965-1966 1386-1387 A.H. 1966-1967 1387-1388 A.H. 1967-1968 1388-1389 A.H. 1968-1969 TABLE 4:

279 329 598 764 864 1,186 1,369 2,561 2,250 2,801

Adult learners enrollees

7,167 9,220 16,843 21,577 23,927 32,469 33,374 37,689 34,824 35,130

•

Growth in budgetary allocations, number of schools f'or literacy, and number of' students, expected within the five years starting 1388-1389 (1968-1969) as estimated in the f'ive-year plan:

-Year 1388-1389 1389-1390 1390-1391 1391-1392 1392-1393

No. of' teachers

No. of schools

1968-1969 1969-1970 1970-1971 1971-1972 A.H. 1972-1973 A.H. A.H. A.H. A.H.

TOTAL

Increase in No. of Budgetary students expected allocation in S.A.

40,324

590 +40 +40 +40 +40 750

+5,900 +6,100 +6,300 +6,500 65,124

2,688,720 2,995,120 3,312,'720 3,639,120 3,975,192 16,610,800 for allowances

3,566,940 for light-

20,177,740 ing VI.

EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAMVJES FOR COMBt\TING ILLITERACY IN AGRICULTURAL AND BEOOUIN AREAS 1. Background

'lbe idea of extending services to remote areas in the Kingdom stems from the policy of the Government of Saudi Arabia which seeks to provide better living conditions 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 Serial No. 1902

- 9 is the most urgent need for ·those groups of population who have been deprived from 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 rather isolated areas. To tackle this l.ife-long problem, it was decided to start an experimental programme for those citizens Who settle temporarily during the summer in certain places near water-wells and oases. The first venture was to set up a literacy programme 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 as training a good number of workers in this field of adult education and orienting them to this type of work . . 2.

~iminary

preparations

The Ministry of Education, Department of Popular Culture, issued a circular to all distriot ed.uca.tional offices in the Kingdom (2} in all), requesting them to make an investigation in their areas as to the possibility of launching an intensive literacy programme among the Bedouins who settled during summer near wat~r-wells and oases. In the light of the information received, two areas were choseI;l: Al-Sheek Valley in Abha area and AI-Rharma Valley in AI-Taif area. To ascertain the suitability of the chosen places for the purpose, visits were made to the localities by the consultant and the assistant director of the Popular Culture 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 as the plans conceming adminlstrative and financial procedures necessary for the implementation of the programmes and the teacher-training' course. }. Literacy programme launched at Al-Sheek ValleyJAbha •

A

The

,

aimed at teaching those people reading and writing besides The report made by the social worker who surveyed the area $ows the follOWing facts: p~ogramme

g1 ving them general information and some social services.

2r.

There are seven villages lying on both sides of the valley. The number of families inhabiting these Villages is ber of inhabitants amounting to 1,725 (829 males and

with a total num-

90 females). Percentage of illiteracy among these people is more than 95% and women are completely illiterate.

There is only one primary school newly opened with only two classes for the first 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 have their children schooled. The main oocupation practised is agriculture and Sheep raising. Serial No. 1902

- 10 -

Most of the houses are built of mud and straw, and there are some who live in tents. Women help a lot in earning family living by working on the farms and/or raising 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 the area. More than 500 enrolled, but only about 400 adult learners continued till the end of the programme which lasted 3 months, 5 days a week. There were two rhour sessions going on, one in the morning, the other in the evening. Twenty teachers, trained over a short period, taught these adult learners. Each group of 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 consideration being 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 and write. Adult learners made such a good progress in their lessons despite the difficulties they encolIDtered in their daily life. The Amir (Governor) of the area and the director of the educational zone at Abha visited the classes and were satisfied 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 small villages on both sides of the Valley. Most of the people living there in the area are farmers/and/or raising sheep, goats and camels. A preliminary survey made on short Visits, by a social worker in the area shows that the percentage of illiteracy among the inhabitants, reaches up to 95%. There are two primary schools and one intermediate school, but not within easy reach of the villagers who live far from Al-Kharma town which lies in the centre. The population of the whole area is estimated at more than 5,000, and they may reach up to 10,000 when the 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 classes were conducted in the evenings which suited them. Teachers and administrators who were involved in these classes were 20, and were transported daily from the town to the centres. Serial No. 1902

- 11 Th~

daily programme consisted of reading, writing, arithmetic and general information; the main focus being on religion.

A physician Joined in the programme to conduct medical survey of the people in 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 various areas of the Kingdom, participated in this course which was held in Abha City in the summer of 1969. It was the first of' its kind held in the Kingdom. The main purposes 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, about 65 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 emphasis on 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's intensive 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 especially under these difficult circumstances. Teacher- training courses in literacy and adult education are therefore necessary.

4. Bedouins as well as agricultural workers have the potential!ty and the desire to leam; so, they must be given priority when planning conummity development projects. Serial No. 1902

WEEKLY TIME-TABLE FX)R THE TEACHER-TRAINING SUMMER COURSE, 1969 - ABHA Group rtArt

Group "B"

Morning session 8-9 Methods and Materials in Adult Education

Saturday

Sunday

Monday Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday Notes:

9:15 - 10:15 Eduoational and Social Studies in Adult Education

Education and Audio visual aids Social Studies in Adult Education Methods & Materials in Adult Eduoation Aud. Vis. Methods and MateAids r1als in Adult Education Methods and Aud. Vis. Aids Materials in Adult Education Aud. Vis. Aids

Evening session

5-0 Illiteracy

Methods and Materials in Adult Education Illiteracy

7-~

Audio visual Aids

. The same time-table

Group

"cn

Teaching Practice (for one month)

Illiteracy

Audio visual aids Education and Social Studies in Adult Education Illiteracy

Extra-Curric. Activities

1. Each group was composed of 20 teachers 2. This time-table was drawn in such a flexibility that each group took two months' theoretical SUbjects, and does teaching practices for one month, alternatively.

~

I\)

- 13 -

5. A literaoy programme should be based on the felt needs of the commmity and 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 duration of 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, are of graat value, if organized to go hand in hand with the teaching activities. (

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

9. Mass media and audio- visual aids must be adequately prepared throughout the 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 adult education, advised the Ministry of Education on matters and problems connected with the present programme. Specifically, he participated in the following actiVities: 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; motivation for adult leaming; Unesco and its actiVities; new approaches to literacy and adult education. Assisting other committee members, in reviewing the curriculum for literacy and adult education, and formulating a new curriculum to be approved by the authorities concerned.

•

Assisting a special commlttee in drafting legislation regulating lit.eracy and adult education activities in the Kingdom through the contribution of governmental 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 for the 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-training institutes 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 the country. Serial No. 1902

- 14 VIII. FUTURE AID It will be seen from what has been explained in this report that the Unesco consultant has endeavoured to pave the way for possible expansion and workorientation of the literacy programme in the Kingdom of saudi Arabia. His aim was to help the authorities concerned in working out and implementing a plan and programme of literacy activities including teacher training and to contribute to the revision of the curricula pertaining to literacy and the drafting of a plan for national training centres for literacy. In the light of this situation, it is recommended that the national literacy programme be reinforoed.by an expert in literacy and adult eduoation under TA Country Programme. His responsibilit1es will include, among other things, an overall study of the existing literacy situation for the purpose of planning and helping initiate preliminary operations that would integrate functional literacy into the development of agricultural and industrial sectors, inoluding the reorganization of literacy centres already in operation. '!he expert will also advise the authorities concerned on infrastructural improvements, inclUding those for evaluation, training, media and methods employed in functional literacy. Furthermore, he will render guidance on interdisciplinary and interministerial co-operation to obtain maximum support tor the functional literacy programme envisaged.

It should be added that two fellowships are also recommended in support of the literacy and adult education programme. We also believe that with the technical assistance recommended here it would be possible for the government to embark on other activities in this field.

•

Serial No. 1902