"Silent Crisis" as Adult Learners and Literacy Programs Devastated by Funding Cuts

"Silent Crisis" as Adult Learners and Literacy Programs Devastated by Funding Cuts: ProLiteracy member survey shows increased demand for services despite reduced education funding

ProLiteracy Press Release: Syracuse, NY: Feb 11, 2009

State funding cutbacks and fewer donations are forcing adult literacy programs to reduce services, programs, and staff, according to a national survey by ProLiteracy, the world's largest organization of adult literacy and basic education programs. These cutbacks come even as demand for classes in reading, writing, math, and computer instruction increase as a result of rising unemployment rates.

"This is America's silent crisis," said David C. Harvey, ProLiteracy president and CEO. "Congress is set to pass an $800 billion stimulus bill without any funding for the millions of Americans who lack the job skills to be successful in the workplace. The situation has become even more dire because many states have quietly started to cut funding of adult literacy and basic education programs—keeping silent those who need the skills necessary to compete in today's global economy."

More than one-third of the programs responding to the survey say they have had to cut services, eliminate positions, and reduce business hours because of state funding cuts. This is despite the fact that the majority of those served report increased demand for GED and job skills training by adults who have recently lost their jobs. Specific highlights from the survey include:

~ Literacy Volunteers of Central Connecticut is projecting a 30 percent funding cut in the coming year, resulting in service cuts, staff reductions, and incomplete evaluations. This organization serves 350 adult learners annually.

~ Stanislaus Literacy Center in Modesto, California, reports that demand for its GED preparation class doubled, serving approximately 350 people in the last six months, the same number that they served in all of the previous 12 months. The Center served approximately 1,300 adult learners in various programs in 2008.

~ Literacy Volunteers of Greater Syracuse, Inc., in Syracuse, New York, was forced to end its successful small classroom program due to funding cuts. Programs that do not receive state funding directly report a trickle-down effect.

"We've had a 17 percent cut in funding coupled with a decline in grant revenue, individual donations, and United Way allocations," said Nancy Williams, executive director of Literacy Volunteers of the Lowcountry in Bluffton, South Carolina. "We are seeing the same demand as last year with less funding, so we are forced to shorten our program year, reduce staff hours, freeze wages, and are operating with a deficit budget."

"There is an urgent need for Congress, the Administration, and state governments to address this growing funding gap for adult literacy and education programs," said Harvey. He added that research has shown that adult literacy programs return $33 to the economy for every dollar invested in them.