ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with meanings and uses of literacy in the National Literacy Programme in Namibia (NLPN). The new government initiated the NLPN after the country gained independence from South Africa in 1990. Since 1992, it has been implemented in all regions of the country. The programme begins with two years of reading and writing in local languages (Stages 1 and 2) followed by one or two years of English literacy (Stages 3/4). Since 1998, the ‘Adult Upper Primary Education’ (AUPE) programme has been added to the NLPN. It consists of a three-year (Stages 5-7) course of basic education (in English) equivalent with formal primary education.
