The note summarizes a 1999 evaluation ofadult literacy programs in Uganda, which looked at thelonger-term outcomes of these programs. Four main questionswere addressed: How well do adult literacy students rememberhow to read, write, and calculate? To what extent do theyuse their skills? Compared with non-literates, whatknowledge of "functional" topics do they exhibit,and to what extent do they practice what was learnt? Whichare the most effective approaches to literacy teaching, andwhat are the comparative costs? Some questions were leftopen, such as the treatment of literacy instructors, whichengenders uncertainty towards policy formation, and, thebalance to be sought between general, national curriculum,and an array of curricula tailored to suit differentinterest groups. Evident signals seemed to confirm theimportance of reliable delivery of sound instruction, ratherthan methods, and materials, and, as for policy, the strongsignal is that frameworks to encourage active, complementarypartnerships between governments, and agencies, would bestserve the people who could benefit from adult basiceducation. Thus, there is an impending need to develop waysof combining basic education in a vernacular introduction,to an official language.
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