Preface

This report is very much the result of a one person investigation. The process I have used may not be to your liking but I find it works well for me, although not necessarily in every situation.

Throughout I have used the editorial "we", mostly I think in sheer embarrassment. Like many people I was trained to never focus on "I" in the matter of opinions or ability or knowledge. Therefore, I wrote the bulk of the report using "we". When I came to write the last part, which was Unit I, I realized how difficult I had made things for myself. So, for the last part of Unit I, I switched to the personal "I". Time prevented me from re-writing the remainder of the report to correspond. I learned something in the process and that is: if I can't write about my own opinions using the personal pronouns, then I shouldn't be writing at all.

A great number of people gave of their time, energy and opinions. My thanks go to:

Mary Corkery for her constant support and ability to clarify issues.

Renate Krakauer, Lisa Avedon, Diane Ironside, Janet Willis, and Peggy Simpson for their assistance in sorting out priorities and their patience in my slowness in writing.

The staff at the Canadian Association for Adult Education for their patience with my persistent use of their office equipment.

Olivia Jacobs of the Women's Employment Section of the Employment and Immigration Commission; Pay Sadavoy of the Metro Toronto YWCA; Doreen Morrison, of the Focus on Change program; and Sonja Davie OISE project for the Commission on Declining Enrolments (CODE). Each gave me time and the benefit of her expertise and helped me find information which was not readily available to the public.

My fellow summer students -- Dawn Sawford, Janet Kinach, Gwen Roe, and Lucy Borodkin, all of whom shared my doubts, anxiety and frustration.

My children -- Mary, David and Gordon -- who put up with getting their own supper for many evenings while I finished this report. And to the Steering Committee of CCLOW who gave me great latitude in writing this report and who waited patiently for the results.

I must make one last comment. I wrote this report to be used as a consciousness- raising resource, not as a statement of truth. I hope it will encourage other women to develop similar reports on the obstacles to learning in their communities.

Dorothy MacKeracher

Toronto, November 1978