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The paper reviews the growth of Canadian Adult Basic Education (ABE) with emphasis on the role played by the Federal government. It considers major events leading to an awareness of the disadvantaged and their inability to function adequately, without necessary opportunities and skills, in the mainstream of an industrialized society. The author describes the various Federally sponsored projects--the Technical and Vocational Training Assistance (TVTA) Act, the Basic Training for Skill Development (BTSD) Program, The Adult Occupational Training (AOT) Act, and the New Start Program. Innovations in ABE established life skills and basic literacy training and an ABE course based on individualized learning and a behavioral objectives "systems" approach. For continued effectiveness and expansion, the author emphasizes the need for active student involvement in the learning process. A bibliography is provided. (Author/JB)

This report collects, analyzes, and summarizes descriptive information on selected academic and administrative policies and practices pertaining to part-time students and continuing education operations at Canadian universities. An introduction describes the study and the sample--the institutional membership of the Canadian Association for University Continuing Education (n=56). Section A reports information submitted by 44 respondents regarding the general configuration and administration of continuing education and the continuing education departments at the various universities. Findings are presented under three headings: structure of department, personnel, and finances. Section B discusses responses of 35 departments on the section of the questionnaire that collected information on degree-credit course operations. Findings are discussed under seven headings: organization and management, policies and practices, fees, instructors and instructor recruitment, students and student recruitment, scheduling, and distance education. Section C provides responses of 36 departments to questions regarding nondegree operations. Findings are presented under the same seven headings as in Section B. Tables and figures are included, where appropriate, below the relevant narrative for each item reported. A list of respondents and a copy of the questionnaire are appended. An index is provided. (YLB)