Ivor Callely
Question:125 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Education the estimated figures available on illiteracy and related problems; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1177/94]
Written Answers. - Illiteracy Statistics.
Traditional definitions of illiteracy, as an absolute, are no longer employed. The concept is seen as outdated. To define the issue clearly, researchers most recently have adopted various measures of functional literacy to determine the number of people with serious literacy problems.
Irish nine year olds and 14 year olds participated in the international literacy studies conducted by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement — IEA — in 1991. A random sample of 3,500 children was involved. In an analysis of the data from this study, three criteria were used to determine the percentage of 14 year olds exhibiting serious literacy problems. Under all three criteria, the estimated percentage of Irish 14 year olds with serious literacy problems was in the range of 6.5 per cent to 8.5 per cent.
There is no reliable estimate of the number of Irish adults who have serious literacy problems. My Department has commissioned a survey to be conducted by the Education Research Centre to establish literacy levels among the adult population in Ireland. The results of this survey are expected to become available in early 1996.