Canadian Adult Basic Education: An Overview. Occasional Paper No. 4.

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)