Literacy in a Learning Society

Literacy used to have to do with reading, writing, and counting. A person who could do those things was literate. It was common, not long ago, to determine whether a person was literate or not by the grade level completed in school: Grade 9 completion was the benchmark for being literate. By these standards, Canada was one of the most literate countries in the world.

That comforting thought was shattered in 1987, when a series of articles appeared deploring the state of ‘illiteracy’ in Canada. Based chiefly on results of a literacy survey conducted by a newspaper chain, evidence was provided that "Five million Canadians (are) functionally illiterate". It was further observed that "they have no leaders, no power, little support, few weapons and no idea where they are headed".

Moving Goalposts

Why the dramatic change from "one of the best in the world" to a shocking national illiteracy rate of some 25%? Largely, because the definition of literacy was changed. Grade 9 was no longer the standard. The ability to read, write, and use numbers well enough to meet the practical demands of society was the more realistic standard used by the national survey. It was now recognized that literacy is a complex matter of degree.

Canada was the first country in the world to conduct a national literacy survey. The 1990 report, Literacy Skills Used in Daily Activities, essentially confirmed the earlier survey. In short order, additional basic education programs were mounted to give adults ‘a second chance’. Business and labour increased their commitments to learning in the workplace. School districts, public colleges, local community agencies, and private sector trainers all contributed to the ‘adult basic education’ push, with both federal and provincial support. At the same time, schools and school districts increased their sensitivity to the need to pay greater attention to ‘basic skills’ in elementary and secondary schools.

The first international report on literacy performance was commissioned in 1994. This study offered an even more expanded understanding of literacy. It distinguished among three kinds of print literacy and established five levels of performance for each - illustrating the complex set of skills involved in being literate today.

Canada’s performance, reported in 1996 in Reading the Future: A Portrait of Literacy in Canada, was hardly impressive. Less than 25% of Canadians had the wide range of skills necessary to meet the literacy demands of today’s and tomorrow’s world.

‘Reading’ the Results

This study had several messages for Canadians:

• literacy is strongly associated with life chances, likelihood of employment, and the need for social services
  
• while the association of literacy with formal education is strong, some adults have a high degree of literacy proficiency despite a low level of education - and some have low literacy levels despite a high level of education
  
• education and training programs serve those who already have high skills, rather than those who need them most
  
• literacy skills are strengthened through regular use

In 1997, yet another international study, Literacy Skills for the Knowledge Society, told even more about the impact of low literacy on individuals and economies and about the many benefits of high literacy levels.

Boosting Literacy

From a policy perspective, what is the significance of all these findings? In the short term, more resources seem necessary to provide education and training for the many adults who now have low literacy skills - or we will pay a much higher price for social services later. Institutions, unions, business, and community-based organizations all have roles to play. Training in the workplace needs a major boost.

In the long term, renewed emphasis on family, pre-school, and early school literacy seems to offer the best chance of reducing low literacy in Canada, and of increasing the life chances of so many young Canadians.

Literacy is a public issue which touches all citizens, directly or indirectly. Canada has played a world leadership role in tackling literacy issues. The prospect of a new ‘children’s agenda’ for Canada, and the growing concern that we become a lifelong learning society are important positive developments. They need strong, sustained public support.

Paul Gallagher is on the Board of Directors of Literacy, B.C. and a Directorof the Society for the Advancement of Excellence in Education.