42 per cent of Canadian adults, 16 to 65, do not meet minimum literacy levels for coping

Toronto, ON - Canada’s latest record on literacy performance, released today by Statistics Canada and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), is a wake-up call to the nation to institute policies and practices to ensure that literacy levels are increased. “In the nine years since the last round of data was released from these organizations, some progress has been made, but that just isn’t enough,” says Christine Featherstone, President and CEO of ABC CANADA Literacy Foundation. “If literacy and numeracy rates are not increased substantially, Canada risks following a path that will see reduced efficiency and productivity in the workplace, more people on employment insurance, reduced morale and safety on the job, poorer health and increased health care costs.”

The long-awaited international report on literacy skills levels provides insight into Canada and how it stacks up against six other countries (Norway, Bermuda, Switzerland, Italy, the Mexican state of Nuevo Leon, and the United States) in various skills and education-participation measurements. The Adult Literacy and Life Skills (ALL) Survey (OECD and StatsCan, 2005) further builds the picture of the state of literacy last glimpsed in detail in the organizations’ series of survey results using data collected in 1994 and 1998 and called the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) Database.

After nine years, the same per cent of adults have low literacy

Regarding those Canadians, aged 16 to 65, scoring literacy Levels 1 and 2, deemed below the minimum of what is suitable for coping with the demands of everyday life and work, the percentage reported in ALL is the same as was recorded in 1994 (42 per cent). Level 1 literacy skill means a person is unable to read, for example, information on a medicine bottle. Level 2 means the person can only deal with simple printed material, and has difficulty facing new demands or tasks at work or in the community.

“That we are holding at that 42-per cent figure is a testament to the initiative and energy shown by school teachers and the legion of adult literacy workers and tutors across this country. Had it not been for their efforts, we would have undoubtedly lost ground,” adds Featherstone. That prevailing low-literacy rate, however, is extremely disturbing.

In order to reach a significantly larger number of those who require literacy upgrading, ABC CANADA contends, a substantial increase in the investment in literacy must take place by many sectors of society.

National agenda - at home, school and work

“Tackling the low-literacy problem in this country is a task that many in our society need to take on,” says Featherstone. “We need to reach those who have left school early and those who struggle with literacy demands well into their adult life. This is not a challenge for our schools alone. It is one all sectors of our society face - our corporations, unions, health care professionals, policy makers and government representatives.”

The persistent fact of low literacy in Canada demands that a greater investment be made to provide the services needed to unlock the potential of these people who are trapped and isolated in Levels 1 and 2 of literacy. That investment, says ABC CANADA, means:

• more resources provided by school boards to ensure that sufficient books, materials and teaching staff are available to address the literacy needs of all students;
• further support to those adults who have left the formal education system;
• further improvements to school curricula to make the appropriate learning opportunities available for students at all literacy and numeracy levels, and to ensure that literacy standards are adhered to so that no one falls through the cracks;
• increased funding to adult literacy organizations, for the addition and the furthering of literacy programs tailored to meet adult’s needs at home and in the workplace;
• leadership shown by more corporations in developing workplace literacy and basic skills education and training; and
• government policies developed to ensure consistency among provinces and territories when it comes to standards of literacy and of adult education and training, along with incentives to corporations, where required, to help them develop and maintain workplace programs.

“The benefits to our families, our communities, and to our businesses and our economy are numerous,” says Featherstone. “The ALL Survey indicates quite directly the relationship between literacy and various social and economic outcomes. It further confirms that these measures to address low literacy must be acted on.” [For some key findings, see our Backgrounder.]

Adds Featherstone: “The net effect of making an investment in literacy is manifold: happier, safer, more secure and financially rewarded employees; greater efficiency in the workplace; a healthier community less burdened by the cost of health care delivery; and a more robust and competitive economy. Why wouldn’t we do all that is needed to make that very sound investment in our citizens and in our future?”

Related Documents:

ABC CANADA Backgrounder on ALL Survey
This document provides a quick, clear summary of key concepts necessary to understand the significance of the ALL data.

Learning a Living: First results of the Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey [Statistics Canada]
This is the main Web page for the new ALL Survey data released on 11 May 2005. Download the full report from Statistics Canada as two PDF files.

The Daily: Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey [Statistics Canada]
This link takes you to Statistics Canada’s announcement of the newly released data as it appeared on 11 May 2005 in their official release bulletin, The Daily.

Measuring Adult Literacy and Life Skills: New frameworks for Assessment [Statistics Canada]
This document. released in March 2005, explores the development of, and the theory behind the assessment methods employed in the ALL Survey. Download the full report as a PDF file.