Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 11 Oct 2000

Vol. 523 No. 5

Written Answers. - Literacy Levels.

John Perry

Question:

101 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Education and Science his views on the number of students who are functionally illiterate; if he accepts the findings of the UN human development report suggesting that 23% of Irish people were so illiterate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21418/00]

Minister for Education and Science (Dr. Woods):

The report of the United Nations Committee reflects the report of the OECD International adult literacy survey results for Ireland, published in 1997. This showed that 25% of the adult population, representing some 500,000 people, had inadequate literacy skills. It is important to stress that this was not a survey of illiteracy, but rather of the different levels of skills which are needed for participation in a modern economy. These adults were found to score at the lowest level, level 1, performing at best tasks which required the reader to locate a simple piece of information in a text, with no distracting information and when the structure of the text assists the task.

Since the survey, this Government has given a high priority to developing adult literacy programmes. The adult literacy budget has been increased from less than £0.85 million prior to 1997 to almost £9 million this year. The sum of £73.6 million is being provided for a national adult literacy strategy under the national development plan for the period 2000-6.

A range of initiatives has been progressed as part of the expansion of the service in co-operation with the vocational education committees, the National Adult Literacy Agency and training and employment interests. These include the establishment of an adult literacy development fund to support awareness, Outreach, referral networks and flexible provision. As a result the numbers availing of the service have increased from 5,000 in 1997 to almost 13,500 this year. A quality framework has been developed and nationally certified in service programmes for staff are being implemented. A directory of adult literacy services has been published to promote awareness of contact points for the service. The first phase of development of an adult guidance service has been initiated, and phase 2 will begin in early 2001.

One of our more exciting initiatives is the screening of the adult literacy programme "Read Write Now" on RTE. The aim of this series of 12 half-hour programmes is to reach a mass audience, to enable adults to improve their reading and writing skills in the privacy of their own homes, to promote awareness of where to go for help, and to encourage adults to join their local literacy schemes. The TV ratings indicate that some 153,000 people watched the first programme, 192,000 watched the second programme, and 64,000 and 28,000, respectively, watched the repeats of these the following day.

The series is accompanied by a free learner pack, which will be available from NALA, the National Adult Literacy Agency. A special freephone support service operated by NALA is also provided through which experienced tutors help with any queries about the TV series or the pack and refer callers to a local literacy scheme.

An Inter-Departmental Committee on Literacy for the unemployed has been convened by my Department, which is working with the National Adult Literacy Agency, FÁS, the local employment service, the vocational education committees and the Departments of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and Social, Community and Family Affairs on the development of an integrated strategy in this area. In that context, a number of joint literacy projects with the FÁS-funded community employment scheme are under way and are now being expanded to all FÁS regions.

The White Paper on Adult Education – Learning for Life – sets out the Government's commitment to further develop this critical area, and sets out a detailed strategy to expand adult learning opportunities generally.

In relation to the school population, national assessments of English reading with fifth class pupils were carried out in 1993 and 1998 by inspectors of my Department in co-operation with the Educational Research Centre, Drumcondra. The report of these assessments has just been published. In 1990-91 the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement conducted a reading literacy study in 32 educational systems throughout the world. Irish nine year olds and 14 year olds participated in the study. Estimates from national and international studies indicate that approximately 10% of Irish school pupils have serious literacy problems. These issues are being addressed through the expansion of the remedial service to all primary and post-primary schools, reforms of the remedial service in line with an expert evaluation, a major investment in the provision of school library books and the national reading initiative.