Olwyn Enright
Question:200 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Education and Science the estimated number of children and students leaving school each year with literacy difficulties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14985/02]
Written Answers. - Special Educational Needs.
Precise information regarding the literacy levels of school leavers is not available. However, national and international surveys of literacy undertaken during the past decade give a good indication as to the proportions of students who have serious literacy difficulties.
In 1990-91 the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement, IEA, conducted a reading literacy study in 32 educational systems throughout the world. Irish nine year olds and 14 year olds participated in the study. Both Irish populations scored just above the respective international averages for their age peers. Further analysis of the data from this study by the Educational Research Centre, ERC, Drumcondra, indicated that between 6.5% to 8.5% of Irish 14 year olds had serious literacy difficulties.
National surveys of reading in primary schools were carried out in 1972, 1980, 1988, 1993 and 1998 by Department of Education and Science inspectors in co-operation with the ERC. Significant progress in pupils reading achievement was recorded between 1972 and 1980. The most recent survey of reading achievement of pupils in fifth class in 1998 indicated that there has been no significant change in reading standards in the past 20 years. It was estimated from the 1993 survey that between 6.5% to 9.5% of Irish 11 year old pupils have serious literacy difficulties.
In 2000, the OECD programme for International Survey of Achievement, PISA, found that the proportion of 15 year old students achieving at level one or below on the combined reading literacy scales was 11%. While this is considerably below the OECD country average of 17.9%, it should not be a cause for complacency.
Promotion of high literacy standards is among the highest priorities of the education system and during my term of office, I am determined to significantly improve the literacy levels of all school leavers.