Nz Adult Literacy Strategy Released
Hon Marian Hobbs
7 May 2001 Speech Notes
Embargoed against delivery
Launch of Adult Literacy Strategy, 5.30pm Monday May 7, Hon Trevor Mallard's office, Beehive 7.2
Introduction
Low levels of adult literacy have two consequences for New Zealand:
1. The workforce, where the lack of being able to read, write and solve problems impedes upskilling.
2. A lack of confidence in the communication skills needed for happy, safe families and for participating in the knowledge society. For example how to comment on a district plan or be a school trustee.
The International Adult Literacy Survey in 1996 revealed large numbers of people in New Zealand whose poor literacy severely restricts their choices in life and work.
New Zealand ranked above average in the survey for prose literacy but was well below average for the 20 participating countries in two of the three literacy domains examined by the survey. In prose literacy only four countries had a mean proficiency level higher than New Zealand’s.
But, New Zealand’s mean proficiency in document literacy measured significantly better than only 6 of the 20 participating countries and in quantitative literacy better than only 5 countries.
History of New Zealand’s adult literacy movement
The modern adult literacy movement in New Zealand began in the early 1970s.
In 1974, the Hawkes Bay New Reader’s Programme began when a local minister’s wife, Rosalie Somerville, began teaching several parishioners who had trouble with reading. She persuaded Massey University Extension Department to run two training courses, resulting in 17 trained literacy tutors in Hawkes Bay. The National Council of Adult Education contributed $250 for books.
In 1975, in Auckland the Logan Campbell Trust gave an Auckland University professor, Marie Clay, a $2,000 grant to start an adult literacy programme in Auckland. The following year, with the help of a grant from the Department of Education and UNESCO, National Council of Adult Education ran the first national seminar on literacy, Assisting Adults with Reading Problems, in Levin.
The New Zealand Workers’ Education Associations were also involved in raising the profile of adult literacy and in delivering adult literacy programmes from the mid 1970’s. John Tamihere's Waipereira Trust – driver licences.
In 1979, an
Adult Reading Advisory Committee survey for the National
Council of Adult Education found:
- a total of 59
voluntary literacy programmes throughout NZ, which had
helped a total of 2,078 students
- over half the
students were under age 25
- 92 percent of the students
were English-speaking
- 217 people were on waiting lists
to get into the programmes.
In 1982 the Adult Reading and Learning Assistance Federation was registered as an Incorporated Society and received small grants from the Department of Social Welfare and the Department of Education. Through the 1980’s funding increased reaching $400,000 from Education annually by 1988. Funds were used to create a network of paid co-ordinators and to move towards bi-cultural development within programmes.
In 1990, the Adult Reading and Learning Assistance Federation created a national workplace literacy project, Workbase, which eventually split off from ARLA in 1996 to become an independent not-for-profit organisation.
The history of these early struggles of the adult literacy movement in New Zealand to establish a network of learning opportunities for adult learners is a proud one. I wish to acknowledge the contributions made by key organisations and individuals to adult literacy provision in the past. Some of them are represented here this evening.
A new approach needed
Despite the committed effort of these predominantly volunteer groups over the past 25 years or more, however, poor levels of adult literacy remain a serious issue. When elected in 1999, the new Labour Alliance coalition Government recognised the need for a change to adult literacy. Action to improve adult literacy in New Zealand was signalled in the pre-election policy statements on employment, and on adult education and community learning.
The new Government created an Associate Minister of Education (Adult and Community Education). Among the responsibilities of this portfolio was the development of an adult literacy strategy.
I wish to acknowledge here the role played by my predecessor Lianne Dalziel. She had responsibility for the adult literacy strategy until a month ago and guided its development through its early months, built relationships with sector organisations, in Budget 2000 achieved new funding for adult literacy which she announced at the National Literacy Hui last November, and took the final draft of the Strategy to Cabinet just a few short weeks ago in the middle of March.
The Adult Literacy Strategy
The launch of this Strategy signals a more
hands-on approach from Government—but working with those in
the movement who have so much experience and
expertise.
Government through the Ministry of Education,
will have a clearer leadership role providing overall
direction and strategic planning. The Ministry will
co-ordinate the introduction of standards and best practice
models to underpin new quality assurance systems. Shortly
the Ministry will be appointing an Adult Literacy Chief
Adviser.
This strategy will provide a comprehensive,
long-term approach to adult literacy. This is especially
true when building the capacity and capability of the
sector, poorly resourced in the past. The International
Adult Literacy Survey told us the need is much too large for
the current range of providers to meet.
We must have a
sustained long-term strategy to increase the scale and
improve the quality of what's required. To measure
improvements we need many more adult learners in effective,
high quality literacy programmes.
The strategy is
underpinned by four principles:
- rapid gains for
learners,
- programmes to match learners' needs
-
best practice, good evaluation and research to inform
programme development
- teaching that meets the needs of
the wide diversity of learners.
The long-term approach
has three key goals:
- increasing opportunities for adult
literacy learning;
- developing the capability of adult
literacy providers to deliver high quality education;
and
- improving quality systems to ensure that adult
literacy teaching programmes in New Zealand are world
class.
In the long run, all New Zealanders should enjoy a
level of literacy that enables them to participate fully in
all aspects of life, including work, family and the
community, and to have the opportunity to achieve literacy
in English and Te Reo Maori.
Concentration in the first
two or three years will be on building the quality systems
required, and investing in building the capability of the
sector to improve the overall quality of provision as
quickly as possible.
Benefits of good literacy
The
International Adult Literacy Strategy concludes that
increasing literacy skills is related to increased
employability, reduced unemployment probabilities, increased
earnings, and increasing the probability of being in white
collar high skilled occupations. Research on the New
Zealand IALS data by the Department of Labour confirms
this.
There are also substantial non-employment benefits
related to good literacy skills. Associations have been
noted between higher levels of literacy and greater social
cohesion, higher political participation of women, increased
community and voluntary activity, improved health, higher
levels of home ownership, and better education outcomes for
children of parents with good literacy.
Excellent
results can come through workplace initiatives. Investing
in generic literacy skills for employees provides a return
to the worker, with gains in skill and income and improved
stability of employment. The employer gets a return to the
in improved productivity, improved workplace safety through
better understanding of safety instructions, and lower staff
turnover.
The role of community organisations will be
crucial in responding through community-based programmes to
those who do not participate in more formal learning.
Flexible community-based learning is well placed for those
who have transport difficulties, or whose wide ranging
family responsibilities make scheduling learning hours
difficult. Partnerships with Maori, Pacific peoples, and
other ethnicities from non-English speaking backgrounds will
be essential to develop innovative and appropriate ways of
learning targeted to these high need groups.
Thank you to everyone who has been involved in developing this Strategy and I look forward seeing the results.
ENDS