asked the Minister for Education when the last report on illiteracy in Ireland was published; if any up-to-date data is available; and if he will consider having a study conducted into the extent of this problem in Ireland.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Illiteracy Report.
20.
I am not aware of any recent reports published specifically on illiteracy in Ireland. There have, however, been a number of research reports on various aspects of reading attainment in schools and some of these were discussed in a "Review of Reading Research in Ireland" published in An Múinteoir Náisiúnta for December, 1976. My Department do not have proposals for illiteracy studies under consideration at present.
Has the Minister any action in mind in accordance with the Murphy Report in this regard? Is Aontas working on this question of illiteracy?
I understand that Aontas will announce a project very soon. No action is contemplated at the moment in relation to the Murphy Report. If the Deputy referred to the article I mentioned which was published in An Múinteoir Náisiúnta he would see the great difficulties involved in defining the term illiteracy.
There are some voluntary groups working on it.
Has the Minister a copy of the report prepared by the psychology department of the City of Dublin Vocational Education Committee?
I saw the report.
I am sure the Minister will accept that the revelations there in respect of illiteracy at post-primary level are alarming.
We are getting into a deep field here. The snag here and in many other countries has been an actual definition of the term "illiteracy". It means different things to different people. The psychology department of the City of Dublin VEC went on the basis of a definition which might not be acceptable to Aontas, the Department of Education or to educationalists in other parts of the world.
The Minister will accept that, irrespective of the fine line one might draw in respect of the actual definition, in respect of what is traditionally known as illiteracy the rate is alarmingly high?
I agree with that. It is a cause of great concern.