Public policy statements and formal legislation do not explicitly provide for basic education as the right of every adult living in Canada. The policies and legislation which do exist are: (a) permissive rather than obligatory and (b) implicit rather than explicit. The result is that adult basic education services are generally provided as voluntary services, as social welfare services, as remedial services, rather than as an integrated part of other adult education services.

C.C.L.O.W. believes that every woman has the right to an education which will enable her to participate effectively in society, to develop her full potential as a human being, to strengthen her sense of self-worth, and to contribute in positive ways to her community and family groups.

C.C.L.O.W. believes that those women who, by virtue of their lack of fundamental education of language skills, can be described as educationally disadvantaged, are a top priority in determing the development of educational resources.

C.C.L.O.W. will develop recommendations for legislative change: at the national level for the purpose of dealing with federal policies and at the provincial level for the purpose of dealing with provincial and municipal policies.

C.C.L.O.W. will work cooperatively with other special interest groups in developing recommendations for integrated policy in the field of adult basic education. Such groups might include: the Movement for Canadian Literacy; Teachers of English as a Second Language; and the Canadian Association for Adult Education.

The goals, values and purposes of adult basic education programs and services are often unclear, incongruent and only implied through programming and funding decisions. Those goals held by service-providers are often quite dissimilar to those held by participants. Goals and values for women are often different from those for men and this results in inequities within the system.

C.C.L.O.W. will support policies and programs in adult basic education services for women which are designed to enhance all alternative goals and provide a wide variety of choices in process and content.

C.C.L.O.W. will develop and make recommendations to various levels of government related to the clarification and integration of coherent goals for adult basic education programs for women.

C.C.L.O.W. will encourage and support service-providers in developing and articulating specific goals for adult basic education programs for women.

Women who require adult basic education programs often have great difficulty finding financial assistance to support them while in such programs. This assistance might take the form of a direct grant, loan, or bursary or of an indirect service such as child care or transportation.

C.C.L.O.W. will monitor the process by which financial assistance is provided to women for adult basic education services.

C.C.L.O.W will develop and make recommendations based on a comprehensive program to provide financial assistance on the basis of educational need to the various levels of government.

C.C.L.O.W. will maintain an up-to-date data file on financial subsidy programs for women planning to attend adult basic education programs at the provincial level.

C.C.L.O.W. will support financial assistance programs to women requiring adult basic education services in addition to supporting an extension of learning programs in this area.