be made on the basis of the data and reported effectively to stakeholders at various levels. These stakeholders are likely to have different interests in individual and subgroup
profiles as well as in the policy implications of data analyses and interpretations Wagner, 2004:36. The following purposes enumerated by UNESCO 2005:22 indicate some of
the proper uses of assessment data: • To set priorities for resource allocation at national or international level;
• To survey achievement and the effectiveness of delivery systems; • To inform and improve literacy acquisition methodologies;
• To identify neglected or hard-to-reach population groups and provide a basis for innovative programs;
• To illuminate areas for concerted action and cooperative ventures; • To strengthen the movement for literacy and provide a basis and incentive
for • good practice;
• To give feedback to learners and raise their levels of confidence; • To motivate literacy workers, showing them that they are able to make a
difference. Therefore, as Wagner 2004:36 pointed out, it is likely that more than one report
or at least various sub-reports will be required in order to address the relevant issues of the diverse consumers of the assessment results.
3.2 Operational definition of literacy and literacy domains for the Eastern
Tamang people
As mentioned earlier in section 2.4, there is no universal standardized definition of literacy. The construct of literacy no longer simply implies
―the acquisition of intellectual skills associated with basic academic competencies associated with reading
and writing ‖ Kirsch, 2001:5. With the growing awareness of the importance of lifelong
learning, literacy is rather perceived as ―an advancing set of skills, knowledge, and
strategies that individuals build on throughout their lives in various contexts and through interactions with their peers and with the larger communities in which they participate
‖ ibid.:4. Therefore, the initial work of a committee impaneled to develop the assessment
plan is to define literacy with respect to views and demands of literacy in the focal society. The following questions would help guide the committee in determining an
operational definition of literacy for developing appropriate measures of literacy assessment:
1 For what purposes do people in your community want to be literate? – for
example, parenting, participating economicincome generating activities, acquiringexercising citizenship, individual advancement in school or at
workplace, etc.
2 What kinds of literacy practices are often observed in your community and
in the wider society you participate in? 3
What kinds of materials are usually used in such literacy practices? 4
What types and levels of literacy skills are necessary for functioning in your community and in the wider society?
If a national definition of literacy andor a National Adult Education Policy exists,
these are fundamental resources for the committee as well. For example, Bangladesh‘s
Literacy Assessment Survey LAS 2008
32
adopted the national definition of literacy which NFE policy 2006 defined very similarly to the 2005 UNESCO definition, as
follows: ―Literacy is the ability to read, understand, interpret, communicate and compute
32
Literacy Assessment Survey LAS 2008 was conducted to address the issue of reliable benchmark data on adult literacy status in Bangladesh. It was conducted with UNESCOs technical and financial support
following the similar methodologies used in the Education Watch 2002 and Assessment of Literacy Status in Bangladesh 2005 Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics and UNESCO, 2008:xiv.
in verbal and written forms in varying contexts. It involves a continuum of learning that enables individuals to develop their potentials and knowledge base
and to participate fully in community affairs and wider social and development context
‖ Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics and UNESCO, 2008:4. The following definition of literacy adopted by earlier surveys of LAS 2008 is
also similar to the definition given in the NFE policy 2006 of Bangladesh: ―Possession of skills in reading, writing and numeracy related to familiar contents
and contexts and the ability to use these skills in everyday life in order to function effectively in society
‖ ibid.. As introduced above, the government of Nepal defined literacy as the ability
―to read and write short and simple sentences related to daily life in hisher mother tongue or
national language with understanding ‖ and the ability ―to communicate with others and
perform simple tasks of calculation ‖ UNESCO and ACCU, 2003. According to the
NFE Policy 2007, the government of Nepal seeks ―to provide the academic and
practical knowledge, skills and information to different age and levels of learners ‖ and to
attach life skills to both the contents and methods of teachinglearning. Based on both the national and international that is, UNESCO
‘s definitions of literacy, I propose, as an initial trial, a definition of mother tongue literacy for the Eastern Tamang people as
follows: Literacy is the ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate,
compute, and use printed and written materials related to varying contexts of daily life in the Eastern Tamang language. Literacy in the Eastern Tamang language
involves enabling individual Eastern Tamang people to develop their academic and practical knowledge, skills, and potential in order to achieve their goals and to
participate fully in their own and wider communities in Nepal. As suggested above, this definition must be refined or elaborated later by the
assessment committee of local and national stakeholders for the purpose of assessment.
3.3 SelectingIdentifying literacy skills and test components
