Bernard J. Durkan
Ceist:355 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Science his proposals to address literacy problems; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31361/03]
Written Answers. - Literacy Levels.
Literacy skills are the fundamental building blocks of a good education. Young people with poor levels of reading literacy are a source of concern to my Department and form the target group for a range of actions. My concern and that of my Department is reflected in commitments given under the national action plan against poverty and social exclusion, 2003 to 2005, and under the latest social partnership agreement, Sustaining Progress, which contains a special initiative on tackling educational disadvantage entitled, Literacy, Numeracy and Early School Leavers. I am fully committed to achieving the two headline national action plan targets relating to literacy, namely, halving the proportion of pupils with serious literacy difficulties by 2006, and reducing the proportion of the adult population aged 16 years to 64 years with restricted literacy to below 10% to 20% by 2007.
My Department has a range of measures in place to prevent and ameliorate literacy difficulties at primary and second level. Learning-support teaching is provided in all primary schools by over 1,500 teachers who give intensive support to children with literacy difficulties. At second level, in excess of 540 learning support teachers are employed. In addition, resource teachers are provided for students with more severe learning difficulties and disabilities.
My Department provides additional supports for schools serving areas that are designated as disadvantaged. These supports include the reading recovery programme in primary schools, reduced class sizes, home-school liaison schemes and additional grants, all of which assist in improving literacy levels.
At post-primary level the junior certificate school programme focuses specifically on developing literacy skills while schools participating in the school completion programme are given considerable financial resources to provide targeted students with opportunities to improve their literacy skills in accordance with their identified needs.
In May 2003, the Educational Research Centre carried out, on behalf of my Department, a survey of reading literacy in primary schools designated as disadvantaged. The aim of this study is to benchmark the progress of children in first, third and sixth classes in acquiring literacy skills against national norms and to identify factors associated with literacy achievement. I look forward to receiving the results of this research which are due to be available in May 2004. This survey will be followed by a national assessment of reading in first and fifth classes.
Continuing assistance will be given to disadvantaged primary schools in implementing my Department's learning support guidelines, including adoption of a whole-school approach to supporting children with literacy difficulties and development and implementation of a literacy plan by each school. One-day seminars on literacy and the learning support guidelines were delivered by learning support trainers to whole staffs of all designated disadvantaged schools from March to June 2003.
My Department has taken the following steps which will ensure progress towards achieving the relevant NAPS target for adult literacy. Investment in adult literacy has expanded eighteenfold from €1 million in 1997 to €17.9 million in 2003, and participation in VEC literacy schemes had increased from 5,000 in 1997 to 28,000 by the end of 2002. My Department is implementing a quality framework and nationally certified staff development programmes. The use of television and radio has also been piloted and mainstreamed, with the fourth series of "Read Write Now" attracting an average weekly audience of over 120,000. In all cases, the television programme has been backed up by free learner support packs and a freefone helpline provided by the National Adult Literacy Agency. Family learning programmes, literacy and language for non-nationals, programmes for special needs and for Travellers have also been expanded. A workplace literacy programme has been piloted successfully and is being extended to all local authority areas, in co-operation with the Local Authority National Partnership Board. The promotion of workplace literacy is a commitment under Sustaining Progress.
Question No. 356 answered with Question No. 119.
Question No. 357 answered with Question No. 90.