A recent report to the Correctional Service of Canada on female offenders shows that of those surveyed: (1)

• 64% would benefit from life skills programs
• 49% had requested vocational training programs
• 81% had requested permission to study in other educational programs: of theses , 8% required basic education; 63% required secondary education; and 29% required post-secondary education.

These figures are roughly equivalent to those women under 25 years in the total population. However, women in the various correctional institutions are different in that they are not free to attend learning opportunities of

A recent report from Saskatchewan states that the average educational attainment level for adults in Northern Saskatchewan, a population which is composed largely of native people, was grade 3; that the drop-out rate from school was 50% by grade 8 and 96% by grade 12. (2 )

One further comment must be made about women and illiteracy. At the 1975 International Symposium on Literacy, Paulo Friere stated that: according to its particular structure, society shapes education in relation to the ends and interests of those in power. We tend to perceive education and learning opportunities for women as a process which will serve our needs and which will assist society to reach ideal goals; rather than perceiving it as an activity which is shaped by, reflects and perpetuates the realities of social, political and economic activities. Those who are most vulnerable to this process of shaping are those who are least advantage in terms of education and fundamental skills; and of this group, women are the most vulnerable. The reasons for this are to be found in the basic attitudes of society toward women and their "proper place" and in the fact that education of the lack of it, are major contributors to how a woman participates in her society.

There is a persistent and well-established relationship between literacy levels and .....

• the birth rate ... decreases with an increase in the literacy rate of women
  
  
• the average number of children per family... decreases with an increase in the literacy rate of women
  
  
• the age of women at the time of first marriage ... increases with an increase in the literacy rate of women
  
  
• participation of women in the labour force ... increases with an increase in the literacy rate of women
  
  
• participation in and demand for social services ... increases with an increase in the literacy rate
  
  
• participation in and demand for educational services ... increases with an increase in the literacy rate
  
  
• participation in and demand for medical services ... increases with an increase in the literacy rate
  
  
• need for financial assistance from the government ... decreases with an increase in the literacy rate
  
  
• mortality rates ... decrease with an increase in the literacy rates
  
  
• demand for higher wages and equal wages ... increases with an increase in the literacy rate of women
  
  
• pool of unskilled labour... decreases with an increase in the literacy rate
  
  
• minimum education required for employment... increases with the literacy rate

There are clearly both benefits and set-backs when literacy rates increase. Since these changing conditions exist together, it is reasonable to assume that as one condition is viewed as a "problem" other variables which are more manageable will be altered to solve the problem. One of the more manageable variables is the literacy rate.

In a society in which we define low birth rates, low mortality rates and small families as socially desirable and economically necessary (eg. India) we would expect to find the various service-providers engaged in intensive literacy campaigns, particularly with women. At the point where increased literacy rates create pressure on the economic, social, educational and medical services which cannot be accommodated, we might expect to see a reduction in literacy programs for all adults, and especially for women.

We might also see such things as:

• a shift in emphasis in adult basic education programs away from those designed to enhance employability and participation of the women in community activities outside the home and toward those designed to enhance family and child maintenance in community activities related to work inside the home.
  
  
• increasing incentives (social, educational, medical and/or economic) to women to encourage staying home to bear and rear children and increasing disincentives (social, education, medical and/or economic) to discourage women from entering the labour force.

It follows that in times of economic restraint, demands for increased adult basic education programs for women which lead to occupational training and employment are not likely to be heard. However, other demands might. And once a woman has learned to communicate and compute and carry out the tasks of citizenship, she has also increased her knowledge, ability and willingness to participate in all activities within her community.

(1.) Report of the Joint Committee to Study Alternatives for the Housing of the Federal Female Offender, Policy and Planning Branch, Correctional Service of Canada, Ottawa, 1978.