Did You Know?

• 280,880 people in Nova Scotia do not have a high school diploma
• 4,980 people were enrolled in the Nova Scotia School for Adult Learning (NSSAL) in 2004, which is less than 2% of adults who could benefit
• 70% of jobs in Canada require college-level reading skills
• Less than 48% of Nova Scotia’s workforce has college-level reading skills
• About 25% of Atlantic Canadians have trouble with everyday reading and writing
• 65% of people entering jail for the first time have less than a grade 7 education
• People with low levels of literacy are more likely to be in dangerous jobs, be vulnerable to injury, and experience chronic stress that impairs the immune system
• Literacy is the foundation for all further learning
• When governments invest in literacy programs for adults, children benefit, too
• Literacy development in families affects every other area of family life: health, economic status, and opportunities
• Literacy carries profound individual and social benefits
• People with higher levels of literacy participate more in the community and society, which benefits everyone

Literacy is the essential skill. It is the ability to use printed information to function in society, at work, and in the family. It is the combination of thinking and social skills that we need to analyze and use information to control our own lives, achieve our goals, and develop our knowledge and potential. Every Nova Scotian should have equal access to quality education.

All learning must be respected