
Journal Articles (Literacy.org)
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of this Version
3-1990
Publication Source
Psychology and Developing Societies
Volume
2
Issue
1
Start Page
5
Last Page
16
DOI
10.1177/097133369000200102
Abstract
Demographic and economic changes around the world and the linkage between literacy and development have made literacy a critical issue especially in the developing countries. But the uncertainty about the nature and extent of literacy has necessitated taking a new look at literacy assessment. Policy-makers have been hampered not only by too little data, but also by a failure to capture varying types and levels of literacy in each society. Dichotomies like "literate—illiterate" are inappropriate for conceptualising the problem and limit the potential for more effective decision-making. The paper analyses the problems of determining reliable and valid criteria for literacy. The way in which the problem of "who's a literate?" is resolved has serious policy implications.
Copyright/Permission Statement
Wagner, D.A., Who's a Literate? Assessment Issues in a Global Perspective, Psychology and Developing Societies 2, no. 1: pp. 5-16. Copyright © 1990 Department of Psychology, University of Allahabad. Reprinted by permission of SAGE Publications.
This is a pre-publication version. The final version is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/097133369000200102
Recommended Citation
Wagner, Daniel A., "Who's a Literate? Assessment Issues in a Global Perspective" (1990). Journal Articles (Literacy.org). 32.
https://repository.upenn.edu/literacyorg_articles/32
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Date Posted:03 July 2018
This document has been peer reviewed.