During 1989-90 funding was found for animators to be hired for 14 weeks in the Fall to outreach two new areas of the school board as well as continue with the schools already involved.

The project is becoming part of the culture of the schools where it was started three years ago. This is best exemplified by a Kindergarten teacher who did it with his students then moved with them to Grade I. Parents-as-Partners is simply a normal part of his routine even without a literacy animator to back him up. Other teachers are reaching the same point. The task now is to encourage them to reach out to the "Parents-as-Learners" and invite them to make contact with Adult Education Services.

II - DIFFICULTIES ENCOUNTERED

1. Funding

The first problem was, and still is, to have consistent funding for of a literacy animator to initiate and support the project until such time as it becomes self sustaining. The length of time that takes depends on the size and co-operation of the School Board. Fortunately, the publicity surrounding International Literacy Year and Decade are raising the general level of sensitivity to the issues involved, thus making the implementation of a "Parents-as-Partners-as-Learners" project easier. Based on the experience at Eastern Townships School Board where there has been erratic funding obtained over a three-year period, school boards seriously wishing to set up "Parents-as-Partners-as-Learners" should seek funding for at least a three-year period and identify an advocate at the administration level.

2. Teachers

It was hard for teachers to become involved with the project for a number of reasons:

1. some teachers, while comfortable in meeting parents on a one-to-one basis were unwilling to have a parent meeting. They felt intimidated by the thought of meeting a group of parents.

2. some teachers expressed a lack of empathy in dealing with illiterate parents.

3. some teachers questioned the idea of reaching illiterate adults through their children.

4. most teachers had had no training in:

   • dealing with parents;

   • understanding the broad area of illiteracy, particularly the cyclical nature of it

5. most teachers have apparently ever expanding demands on their time and energy.

The co-operation of teachers, in spite of these factors was remarkable and greatly appreciated.