The Invergarry Learning Centre of Surrey School District consented to be part of this project as staff were keen to get some answers themselves to their "turnover problem". The Centre said its total intake for day and evening classes for the September to December 1989 period was 213. They estimate an overall loss of 40 percent of enrollees. They knew the reasons for about 15 percent but the other 25 percent had left without notification. It was this 25 percent that formed the telephone target sample.

In that it is situated in a suburban area with a highly motivated working immigrant population, it was felt that the target sample would not be as transient or mobile as perhaps other areas in the Greater Vancouver Region. Invergarry has a unique approach to literacy training as described elsewhere, (Thomas, 1989a). The uniqueness of this approach comes through in the findings of the telephone survey which are now presented.

RESULTS - REASONS FOR DROPOUT

Thirty-seven people were interviewed. As with the Camosun College nonregistrant target sample, many people had disappeared or could not be reached. However, perhaps because this target sample was of more recent date than the Camosun one, the attrition of the target sample was less. Table 16 shows the disposition of the target sample.