Interviewer instructions
Column P13: Literacy
For the purposes of the census we take literacy to mean the result of the actions of public authorities and certain private institutions which consist of teaching populations to read and write. The reference languages are very numerous because of the presence of foreigners in Guinea. The National Census Bureau has retained 4 reference languages: the national languages (LN); French (Fr); English (En) and Arabic (Ar). All other languages have been grouped [into] a single category called "other languages," whose abbreviation is (Aut). All those who do not know how to read or write are considered illiterate, and the corresponding abbreviation is "Ill." Obviously, a person [may] be able to read or write in several of the languages given above; this is why there is a small [box] across from each of the modalities where you should mark an x if the answer so requires, or else put nothing. In any case, don't write anything in the numbering grid at the bottom. It is certainly easier to ask the following 2 questions to obtain the information you want:
a) "Do you know how to read and write?"
If the answer is no, then the person is illiterate and you should put an "x" in the box "Ill" and continue to level of instruction;
If the answer is yes, then ask the following question: "in which languages?" Or else ask the individual being enumerated to list the languages he or she read and writes, and mark an "x" in the appropriate box.
[p. 44]
A. [As an] example let's look at how to deal with the following 4 cases:
a) The individual does not know how to read or write;
A
Ill X An
LN Ar
Fr Aut
/_/_/
b) The individual knows how to read and write French, English and Russian
B
Ill An X
LN Ar
Fr X Aut X
/_/_/
c) The individual knows how to read and write Arab, French and English
C
Ill An X
LN Ar X
Fr X Aut X
/_/_/
d) The individual knows how to write Chinese, Russian and German.
D
Ill An
LN Ar
Fr X Aut X
/_/_/
You should, of course, write nothing in the numbering grid at the bottom.
