This legislation will benefit all learners, including adult learners whose prior knowledge will be recognised and who will be able to enter the system at a level appropriate to their needs. In South Africa there is at present an emphasis in the library and information field, on Information Literacy and Information Technology. Information Literacy is defined as one of the key intellectual skills required by the modern world. It complements, extends and polishes other basic skills. These aspects of information are essential in the modern world and have to be developed but the enormous problem of illiteracy remains as yet unsolved.
Illiteracy is a burning question in other countries as well as South Africa.
There are thousands of immigrants in the United Kingdom who struggle to communicate in the language of their adopted country. The United States of America is a nation of immigrants and literacy is a growing concern in recent years. The literacy problem in the States has led to new legislation. In 1990 Congress produced legislation affecting literacy programmes. The National Literacy Act was passed and Literacy for All Americans.