Section 6402 - Findings and purpose(a) Findings.--The General Assembly finds and declares: (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.(b) Purpose.--It is the intent of this act to provide coordination and broaden the scope of educational activities to uneducated and undereducated adults in this Commonwealth and their families, including those who speak other languages, and to provide programs to those individuals who have previously been unserved. By providing for the coordination of funding streams and programs across State departments, increased and improved services will be provided to adult learners and their families. By encouraging and expanding the availability of adult and family literacy education programs in this Commonwealth, these adults and their families will be able to function more effectively in their personal lives and as citizens and be better prepared for work force training and employment that they may become more responsible and productive members of society.1986, Oct. 22, P.L. 1452, No. 143, §2, imd. effective. Amended 1996, May 16, P.L. 227, No. 42, §1, imd. effective; 2001 , June 22, P.L. 380, No. 26, § 1, imd. effective.