Literacy Clips

graphic - LPQ Literacy Clips title image
LITERACY PARTNERS OF QUEBEC JUNE 2005 VOLUME 11 ISSUE 3

Following the release of information related to the Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey (ALLS), LPQ is devoting this issue of Literacy Clips to an overview of some of the commentary related to ALLS.

This information has been prepared by the Movement for Canadian Literacy (MCL).

Overview

A study by Statistics Canada released on May 11, 2005, shows that millions of Canadians do not have the literacy skills they need to keep pace with the escalating demands of our society and economy. This loss of potential impacts on the social and economic well-being of individuals, families, communities and our country.

The Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey (ALLS) sheds light on our current literacy challenges and also connects those challenges to some of Canada's most pressing social and economic issues. The link is clear in this conclusion: "... investments in foundation skills would lead to improved levels of health, increased productivity, reduced social costs and higher growth".

Some Key Findings of the Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey

  • Four in ten Canadians do not have the literacy skills they need to meet the ever- increasing demands of modem life, where skills are the key to success in our knowledge-based economy and society.
  • The ALL survey showed that average literacy scores for Canadians had not changed significantly since the last survey was conducted 9 years ago.
  • We have seen some progress among Canadians with the most serious literacy challenges. The ALL survey showed that 15% of Canadians score in level one, the lowest performance level. This was down slightly from 17% in 1994.
  • Literacy skills have a large impact on earnings. Canadians with literacy barriers tend to be stuck in low-paid, low-skilled jobs that offer little chance of advancement or of improving their skills.
  • Among the unemployed, those with the most serious literacy barriers only had a 50% chance of finding a job, even after 52 weeks of unemployment.
  • There has been an apparent decline in literacy scores among Canadian youth. A parent's level of education has a significant impact on the literacy scores of their children. Canadian youth aged 16-25 who had parents with little or no education scored lower on average in 2003 than similar youth surveyed in 1994.