Perspectives on literacy: Exploring functional vs. sociocultural views on adult literacy learning in the case of Uganda
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Abstract
Illiteracy remains a global concern, especially among developing countries like Uganda. The 1990 World Education Conference in Jomtien, Thailand drew attention to the increasing number of illiterate individuals in the world, especially in developing countries. Consequently, the Education For All (EFA) campaign was launched, with UNESCO spearheading it. The campaign urged both developed and developing countries to invest in improving literacy and education levels among children and adults. The support for universal primary education has been enormous, with the United Nations putting forward eight Millennium Development Goals in 2000 to be achieved by 2015; goal 2 emphasizes universal primary education. This paper explores adult literacy promotion as an EFA effort and presents UNESCO’s drive for functional literacy. It also presents the Ugandan government’s Functional Adult Literacy Program and juxtaposes it against other alternative approaches to literacy learning, such as the social and sociocultural views of literacy. Findings from research conducted in 2006 and 2011 on the Functional Adult Literacy Program in Uganda not only point to program challenges limiting its effectiveness, but also call for a social approach to implementing any adult literacy program.
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