National Adult Literacy Database

Lessons in Learning – October 28, 2005

Series: Lessons in Learning

Authors: Canadian Council on Learning (CCL)

While recent testing suggests that Canadian students’ comprehension of basic skills is generally not declining, proficiency exams administered within some universities do show very slight declines in the skills of incoming students. Even though this decline is small overall, the authors of this paper say it does offer lessons in learning for students, their families, professors, universities, and governments.

The transition from high school to university provokes anxiety for many students, who worry whether they can handle the increased independence. Families can help by encouraging students to make use of available support services.

Universities can help by providing social and academic support services that offer the most effective help for students. The authors suggest that professors and administrators look at the examples offered by universities where students consistently express satisfaction with the level of support.

The authors also encourage governments to recognize that pursuing policies designed for the sole purpose of increasing the number of students in first-year university courses can have unintended consequences, including the need to offer costly support services for students who are perceived to lack required skills.

Added: 2013-05-14

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• Les étudiants possèdent-ils les compétences de base en écriture et en mathématiques dont ils ont besoin au moment de leur arrivée à l'université?

Series: Composite Learning Index

Authors: Canadian Council on Learning (CCL)

This assessment of the literacy skills of 15-year-old Canadians is part of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) conducted every three years by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

According to the 2006 PISA, Canadian 15-year-olds scored above the OECD averages in the three literacy areas of reading, mathematics, and science, and also scored above the OECD average for problem-solving skills.

The authors note that while all of Canada’s provinces performed at or above the OECD average, there were significant differences in the results of individual provinces. Also, students in French-language schools outside of Quebec performed at a lower level in science than students enrolled in Anglophone schools.

Added: 2013-05-09

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See also:

• Feuillet d’information : Capacités de littératie des jeunes

Lessons in Learning – December 16, 2005

Series: Lessons in Learning

Authors: Canadian Council on Learning (CCL)

While much progress has been made across Canada in reducing the high-school dropout rate, the progress is much slower among certain groups, including Aboriginal students, those in rural areas, and young men. The authors of this article examine what is known about factors affecting high-school completion, and look at ways to encourage all students to complete high school.

They note that case studies of Australian educational programs that have succeeded in retaining Aboriginal students have isolated a number of factors critical to their success, including community-based education and training; community relevance; a commitment to Aboriginal employment; and the balancing of expectations from two cultures.

Students in rural and isolated communities may see limited returns for their investment in education. Rural schools need to make special efforts to convince students of the long-term value of education, the authors note, pointing to programs that help schools partner with local industries to create school-to-work initiatives.

Male students may be more inclined to stay in school if they can see a direct connection between schooling and near-term employment opportunities. School-to-work programs, including co-operative education and apprenticeships, are extremely valuable in this regard.

The authors note that while young men are more likely overall to drop out, many young women drop out because they are pregnant. Programs that enable young women to continue their education while caring for their children remain important. Making child care available to student mothers provides these young women with opportunities to stay in school until graduation; learn effective parenting skills from child-care professionals; and consider postsecondary educational opportunities.

Added: 2013-05-08

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• De bonnes nouvelles : Les taux de décrochage scolaire diminuent au Canada

Authors: Jean-François Lepage

This Statistics Canada analysis is based on information from the Labour Force Survey carried out in March 2012, which for the first time included questions designed to identify language characteristics of workers.

According to the data collected, Francophones in Canada posted an unemployment rate of 8.3 percent, higher than the national average of 7.7 percent. That month, the unemployment rate among Anglophones was 7.4 percent, slightly below the national average.

The author points out that this difference is more a reflection of the distribution of Francophones and Anglophones in Canada than a lower level of performance in the labour market by a particular language group. At the provincial level, the situation for Francophones is similar to, or even better than, that for Anglophones, except in New Brunswick.

Overall, the unemployment rate for Francophones living outside Quebec was similar to that of Anglophones, at 7.5 percent versus 7.3 percent. However, the employment rate for Francophones, at 58.5 percent, was lower than that for Anglophones, 62.4 percent.

In Quebec, the employment and unemployment rates of the English-speaking minority did not differ from that of the Francophone population.

Across Canada, 18 percent of Francophones who are employed earn $1,200 per week or more, compared with 24 percent of Anglophones. The author notes that once again, this has less to do with a disadvantage for Francophones in the labour market than the fact that the latter are concentrated in eastern Canada, where wages are lower than in the western provinces.

Added: 2013-05-03

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• Situation des minorités de langue officielle sur le marché du travail

Authors: Yukon Literacy Coalition

This annual report offers an update on the work of the Yukon Literacy Coalition (YLC), an organization committed to supporting and encouraging literacy in all the languages of the Yukon.

The document includes reports from the president of the coalition’s board, its executive director, and the director of its family literacy centre.

Some highlights of the year included receiving funding from Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) to carry out a Literacy and Essential Skills (LES) workplace and workforce research project; the start of a film project on LES in the Yukon; planning for the Pan Northern Gathering scheduled for Yellowknife in 2012; and the preparation of the first draft of a strategic plan for the YLC.

Added: 2013-05-03

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Lessons in Learning – September 29, 2005

Series: Lessons in Learning

Authors: Canadian Council on Learning (CCL)

The authors of this paper say that the number of Canadian adults with low literacy skills remains too high, in spite of the significant resources that all levels of government have committed to improving literacy.

They note that Canadian levels of adult literacy are low relative to comparable countries, are not improving over time, and are unlikely to be remedied by current approaches.

To solve the problem, they suggest improving workers’ access to ongoing education and training; offering support for key groups that have low literacy levels, including Aboriginal people, recent immigrants, and people with disabilities; improving high school graduation rates; and encouraging participation in postsecondary education.

As well, the authors encourage governments to look at efforts made in other countries to promote and maintain adult literacy, and to build a more coherent framework for developing policy related to adult literacy.

Added: 2013-05-02

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See also:

• Améliorer la note : Promouvoir la littératie chez les adultes au Canada

Perspectives on Labour and Income, Vol. 23, No. 3 - July 22, 2011

Series: Perspectives on Labour and Income – Statistics Canada

Authors: May Luong

This Statistics Canada study examines the wealth, financial security, and retirement plans of individuals living in employed low-income families, compared to those in not-employed low-income families, and those in employed non-low-income families.

Wealth, or net worth, is defined as the difference between a family’s assets and its total debts. The analysis showed that the average wealth of low-income families with at least one employed family member is higher than that of low-income families without an employed family member, but is significantly lower than that of non-low-income families with at least one employed family member.

The author notes that 69 percent of employed low-income families carry debt, compared to 44 percent of other low-income families. However, a large proportion of that debt is in the form of residential mortgages, offering the prospect of home ownership and the economic advantages it carries.

Compared to not-employed low-income families, a larger proportion of employed low-income families report that they are able to pay for unexpected expenses and are not falling behind on bill payments.

A larger proportion of employed low-income families are making retirement preparations and anticipate having more diverse sources of retirement income than not-employed low-income families.

Added: 2013-05-01

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• Le patrimoine et les finances des familles occupées à faible revenu

Presentation at Summer Institute 2011 organized by The Centre for Literacy

Series: Measures of Success

Authors: Social Research, Demonstration Corporation (SRDC)

This presentation offers an overview of a project designed to test a model for measuring the long-term effects of workplace literacy and essential skills (LES) training programs in Manitoba and Nova Scotia.

The goals of the project include developing an evaluation framework that sets out the expected benefits of workplace LES initiatives and determines how these outcomes can be measured, then evaluating this framework in practice.

The presentation includes information on intermediate and long-term change; financial and non-financial outcomes of training; motivations for training; and learner characteristics.

It was part of the program for The Centre for Literacy Summer Institute 2011, held in Montreal, Quebec, in June of that year. The centre supports best practices and informed policy development in LES by building links between research, policy, and practice.

Added: 2013-04-30

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Lessons in Learning – January 18, 2006

Series: Lessons in Learning

Authors: Canadian Council on Learning (CCL)

Canada is one of many industrialized countries to see voter participation rates drop since 1990. Recent analyses suggest that the drop in voter participation is largely the result of very low turnout on election day among young voters.

The authors of this paper point to studies suggesting that young people are less familiar with basic political facts than their older counterparts; less likely to be interested in politics; less likely to read newspapers; and less likely to see voting as a duty shared by all citizens. All of these factors suggest that young people are not particularly engaged in the Canadian political process, and may explain why many young people do not vote.

One factor in this lack of interest may be the changes over time in the nature of citizenship education in Canada. In the early days of universal education in Canada, preparing young people to assume the rights and responsibilities of citizenship was the primary goal of schooling. However, as teaching math, science, and computer science takes on greater importance in Canadian schools, other subjects such as Canadian history and civics risk falling into neglect.

Schools clearly have an important role to play in producing politically knowledgeable and interested young Canadians, the authors say. Other institutions also have a responsibility to educate young voters about election issues. Elections Canada has developed a strategy aimed at increasing young Canadians’ understanding of the electoral process and their role in that process. Political parties are also being encouraged to take responsibility for finding ways to educate young voters.

Added: 2013-04-25

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• La participation électorale baisse : Serait-ce lié à la diminution de l'enseignement civique?

Authors: ABC Canada Literacy Foundation

The authors look at the way literacy levels of adult Canadians influence the country’s economic and social success. They analyse a variety of research materials, including Statistics Canada documents, showing that differences in literacy skills are associated with large differences in employability, wage rates, income, and reliance on social transfers such as social assistance. Adults with higher literacy skills work more, earn more, spend less time unemployed, and rely less on government transfers.

Literacy has also been linked to people’s physical health. Individuals with low literacy skills get sick more often, experience more workplace illnesses and accidents, take longer to recover, and die younger.

The authors note that investing in adult literacy upgrading would lead to economic benefits, including increased Gross Domestic Product (GDP), higher income tax revenues, and reductions in the number of welfare and employment insurance recipients.

Added: 2013-04-25

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