Reflect case studies

No one can deny the role of adult literacy in accelerating development. Governments in both rich and poor countries have an obligation to ensure the rights of adult learners and have signed up to a number of international agreements that promise to reduce illiteracy. However, in reality, governments and development agencies have de-prioritized adult literacy, thus violating the rights of over 776 million adults internationally. This situation is aggravated by low resource allocation to education, non-enrollment of children in schools, high dropout numbers from primary school, a lack of clear adult education policies and strategies and an absence of sustainable adult literacy programmes.