Robert Molloy
Question:24 Mr. Molloy asked the Minister for Education the steps, if any, she intends to take to address the problems of poor literacy skills; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10170/97]
Written Answers. - Literacy Skills.
The Government White Paper, Charting Our Education Future, has a major objective that there should be no students with serious literacy and numeracy problems in early primary education within the next five years. Work has begun on the attainment of this objective through a series of measures. These include a greater emphasis on the early identification of children with learning difficulties, adapting the curriculum to individual needs, home-school links programmes and in-career training programmes for teachers.
At second level, the objective is that all students on completion of the junior cycle, in accordance with their abilities and aptitudes, will have achieved competence in literacy, numeracy and spoken language skills which will allow them to participate as young adults in society. A new junior certificate elementary programme has been introduced in 1996 to cater for a small minority of students whose learning needs have not been adequately catered for by the present junior certificate programme. In addition, there will be increased provision for the education of travellers at second level so that within ten years all traveller children of second level school-going age will complete the junior cycle and 50 per cent will complete the senior cycle.
In the area of adult literacy, the White Paper states that the policy priority will be to ensure that suitable and effective programmes are in place for all who wish to overcome adult literacy and numeracy problems.
Funding for the adult literacy and community education scheme has increased significantly in recent years. I intend to continue to increase this provision as resources permit.
I have commissioned a consultancy survey to establish the extent of the problem of adult illiteracy in this country. The results of the survey will be available soon. They will inform future policy on the matter.