ABSTRACT
The most common understanding of literacy is as a set of tangible skills particularly reading, writing, and numeracy. Today the school and the university cannot teach everything necessary for social and economic life; and educational programmes need to be flexible and diverse. Openness to new knowledge and skills enriches the personal world and makes everyday life more satisfying and meaningful. The range of learning opportunities is extending, and contemporary learners are active and curious deriving insights from many sources, not just from formal educational institutions. The development of mass literacy was hampered by the lack of a law on universal compulsory education. However, from the perspective of civil society the needs of students are important in themselves beyond such market relations. Ideally, empirical studies should identify the extent to which education is regarded as a social value. In carrying out the state's ideological objectives educational institutions offer a set of officially accredited programmes, courses, and disciplines.
