Adult (literacy) literacy is a phenomenon and behavior in a specific period of China's history, and it is a symbol of the opening up of culture and education. Its purpose is to popularize cultural knowledge and improve people's quality. These two points are not only the purpose of adult literacy education, but also its benefits, which are of great significance for improving the overall quality of the people.

First, popularize cultural knowledge.

Adult literacy is closely integrated with production and life. Including not only literacy, reading, writing, bookkeeping and other cultural knowledge, but also national policies, democracy and the rule of law, civic awareness, health and other content, especially according to the needs of illiterate students, teaching about planting, breeding, agricultural products processing and other production technology knowledge. According to the characteristics and needs of female illiteracy, maternal and child health care, family education and family financial management should be added. Combine the teaching of cultural knowledge with practical technology, learn one or several technologies, change its traditional and backward production and lifestyle, and improve its quality of life. Literacy in minority areas has also increased national customs, traditional culture and other contents, which is conducive to the popularization of cultural knowledge. It is of great help to improve the overall quality of the people.

Second, improve people's quality.

After the Opium War, the country opened wide, and some people of insight looked at the world. For poor and weak China, the prescription is to improve people's cultural quality. The first step to improve the national cultural quality is "literacy", and adult literacy has become a unique phenomenon in modern China society. During the period of the National Government, the whole country launched a literacy campaign, but the war continued, with little effect. After the founding of New China, a vigorous literacy campaign was launched. By the end of the 20th century, China had achieved the strategic goal of basically popularizing nine-year compulsory education and basically eliminating illiteracy among young and middle-aged people. The illiteracy rate dropped from more than 80% in 1949 to 6.72% in 2000, which was the most iconic achievement in the history of education in China in the 20th century and the most brilliant chapter in the history of education in China.