This is a must read from Lani Donaldson, President and CEO at Beacon Literacy.
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There are few problems in this world that can’t be attributed
directly to literacy.
Poverty, crime and an overburdened social welfare system are the
first, most visible effects when people don’t have the skills they need to
succeed in the workplace.
But, let’s take that a step further; people who can’t read are at
the mercy of others for their information and their opinions. They find it hard to make informed decisions
about politics and the democratic process.
They are often ignorant of their own rights, and it’s not a stretch to
see how literacy can be linked to issues of abuse, civil unrest and even terrorism.
It’s a complex problem on a global level but, even here in Alberta,
it’s an issue that affects us all.
Whether you have chosen homeschooling or the traditional school system
for your children, it’s important to understand the issues so that we can all
work together to build solutions.
According to Statistics Canada (2005) 35% of working age Albertans
lack the necessary literacy skills they need to succeed in our increasingly
knowledge based economy.
Yes, in one of the wealthiest provinces in Canada, more than one
third of the population lacks the literacy, numeracy and computer literacy
skills necessary to become productive in the workplace. Without those skills they are excluded from a
wealth of employment opportunities and their ability to make a decent living is
severely restricted. At best they are forced
to settle for poorly paid, menial work; if they can find work at all.
People with poor literacy skills earn, on average, 2/3 of the income
of other adults. So based on our pitiful
literacy record, it’s not surprising that our province, even with its rich
resources, could have nearly 400,000 people living in poverty (Statistics
Canada, 2011). In fact, an estimated
73,000 children in Alberta are, or have been, living in poverty (Kolkman &
Ahorro, 2011).
Alberta as a province experiences a huge demand for homeless
shelters, food banks and support systems for the most disadvantaged. And yet we are one of only 3 provinces
without a poverty reduction strategy.
And that is a problem which impacts us all. It is estimated that the external costs of poverty,
including healthcare, justice and social assistance, are as high as $9.5 billion
every year*.
Then there are the emotional and psychological costs. People who
cannot read face a barrage of obstacles every day - they can’t read signposts
or labels; they can’t understand the instructions on their medications, or on
appliances and machinery; unable to read contracts or commercial paperwork they
are vulnerable to every kind of deception and fraud. Their inability to read leads to an increased
risk of accidents, higher rates of chronic disease and lower life expectancy. Conversely, people with higher literacy
skills are more likely to eat well, live a healthier lifestyle and enjoy good
mental health.
Unfortunately illiteracy and poverty form a cycle that can trap
people and their families for generations.
Of the children growing up in poverty, 20–25% will remain poor
throughout their lives.
Children in poor families often miss out on the access to quality
childcare, educational programs and books that would help them develop early
literacy skills in their formative years.
By the time they start Grade 1, they are already behind many of their
peers and are further hampered by a lack of access to extra-curricular,
educational programs.
And unfortunately, without any intervention, they will fall further
and further behind every year. In Grade
3 the curriculum shifts from learning to read, to reading to learn. According to the Annie E Casey Foundation and
the Center for Demographics Analysis in the US, those children who aren’t
reading proficiently by Grade 3 are 4 times more likely to drop out without a
diploma than proficient readers. Those
children without even basic reading skills in Grade 3 are 6 times more likely
to drop out without a diploma.
Most children don’t fail in school because of a lack of intelligence
– they fail because they missed crucial developmental opportunities in their
early childhood.
In a country where all children have access to full-time education
for 12 years, illiteracy is a shockingly pervasive problem. An estimated 36% of Albertans aged between 16
and 25 have poor literacy skills.
According to Literacy Alberta (2007) 30% of our young people drop out without
a high school diploma. And we have one
of the lowest rates in the country of students going on to post-secondary
education.
That lack of literacy translates to a lack of job skills or training
and a lack of opportunities to escape from poverty.
According to The National Council of Welfare, in 2000 “there is a
strong association between school failure and the likelihood of becoming a
repeat offender to the point where school performance is one of the best
predictors of both juvenile delinquency and adult criminality”.
Statistics Canada (2005) has demonstrated that a low literacy level
is ‘a reasonable predictor of involvement in crime’. Research has shown that the average prisoner
has literacy skills significantly lower than those of the general population;
and that those who improve their literacy skills in prison are less likely to
reoffend.
Literacy programs allow us to break this cycle of illiteracy,
poverty and crime.
According to the UK Department of International Development there is
clear evidence that adults who take part in literacy schemes are more likely to
take an interest in their children’s education, encouraging them to attend and
monitoring their progress.
Interestingly, they are also more likely to improve the health and
nutrition practices of their family and take an informed interest in protecting
the environment.
Finding a solution to this costly and pervasive problem is in all
our best interests. It is estimated that
a 1% increase in average literacy rates would yield a 1.5% or $18 billion
permanent increase in the GDP and a 2.5% increase in productivity (Columbe and
Tremblay, 2005).
We live in a country with a shortage of skilled workers because our
children are not being taught to read. Even while we have people living in poverty
because they aren’t qualified for lucrative employment, we still need to import
skilled workers and professionals from overseas.
It’s a huge problem, but not one without an answer. When you give people the literacy skills they
need to succeed you create a ripple effect that spreads to every area of our
society. It makes financial sense for us
all and turns life around for the individuals, their families and their communities.
A truly effective solution needs to be multi-generational, but it
also needs to start with our education system, which most of us agree is
flawed:
·
Early childhood education is a
highly effective investment in the future success of children, building a
foundation for academic success and career opportunities.
· The school system needs to take
responsibility for ensuring that every child has the tools they need to learn
to read and to succeed in every aspect of their academic career.
· Adult literacy programs benefit
not just the individuals but their families and future generations to come.
Illiteracy is an epidemic problem, it’s societal and it affects us
all. Red flags have been raised by
teachers and homeschool parents – perhaps it’s time we invested in solutions.
*Briggs, A. & Lee, C.R. (2012). Poverty Costs, An Economic Case
for a Preventative Poverty Reduction Strategy in Alberta. Calgary: Vibrant Communities Calgary and
Action to End Poverty in Alberta.
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