Pennsylvania Statutes Title 24 P.S. Education § 6402. Findings and purpose

(1) This Commonwealth has 1,500,000 adults over 18 years of age who have not completed their high school education, which places Pennsylvania fifth in the nation with the greatest number of people without high school diplomas.

(2) This Commonwealth has 4,000,000 adults in need of adult literacy services, based on the State Adult Literacy Survey, demonstrating they lack the skills and knowledge essential to cope with daily demands and without the educational background to participate in occupational training or employment.

(3) Less than 2% of these 4,000,000 adults participate in adult literacy education programs.

(4) In this Commonwealth, a system needs to exist to coordinate the hundreds of existing adult and family literacy education programs, State agencies funding programs with adult and family literacy education components, independent adult and family literacy data systems for each funding stream and training, technical assistance and information/research dissemination.

(5) If adult education needs are not more fully met, the Commonwealth could be forced to increase its support of these individuals through unemployment compensation, welfare payments and correctional institutions. A general decline of Statewide productivity may ensue.

(6) Family literacy education is an opportunity for undereducated adults and their children to increase the child's readiness for school and chances for academic success, the parent's involvement in the child's education and the parent's basic skills.