Investing in Adult Literacy: Lessons and Implications

Discusses the evolution of the World Bank’s involvement in adult literacy and nonformal education. Current literacy projects supported by the World Bank include a wide range of literacy providers, not just government adult education agencies. This support is usually provided through a competitive social funding mechanism in order to encourage competition, experimentation, and replication of best practices. The report concludes with five general lessons to increase the effectiveness of investments in adult education

• Literacy instruction is often more successful when it is combined with teaching practical skills
• Developing functional literacy often involves teaching basic scientific knowledge and sometimes a knowledge of a language other than the mother tongue
• While NGOs are often effective literacy providers, they usually require strengthening to become executing agencies for donor projects
• Documenting effective practices requires systematic development of research and other kinds of technical capacity to serve the community of literacy providers
• The impact of literacy programs can be improved with better targeting, especially to youths who have been denied the opportunity to complete their studies

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