The traditional view:

On the basis of the field visits and the literature review conducted during the research project, it would seem that the large majority of literacy and post-literacy programmes are built upon a traditional approach to literacy. Literacy is seen as a process by which a set of technical skills of reading, writing and numeracy are acquired, and once grasped, these skills can be applied in all kinds of contexts for many different forms of print-based learning. The approach is similar to that of primary school: it urges that one should learn literacy first and practise it afterwards. Literacy is seen as a prerequisite for further development programmes - without literacy, the participant groups are felt to be severely disadvantaged. This 'literacy comes first' model rests on a number of assumptions that are questionable. It is founded, for instance, on a deficit view of illiteracy, on the belief that autonomous learning and development activities can only start after the acquisition of literacy. Furthermore, it assumes that the acquisition of literacy itself brings with it several clear advantages in thinking and reasoning and other abilities to relate to the outside world. Literacy within this view is thought to be acquired in a sequential process, part of a continuum from being illiterate to learning literacy, to developing literacy skills further (the post-literacy phase), leading eventually to independent learning. The process of learning literacy associated with these assumptions is based upon a limited and specially prepared group of materials (primers) which are received by those who attend the literacy classes.

The implications of this for post-literacy are clear. Most post-literacy programmes consist of a further programme of training, aimed at those who have completed the initial primerbased programme, and using materials written specifically for this group of learners.