WORD-Wide Web

We are proud to announce the fourth consecutive year of this program which we carry out in partnership with the Quebec Drama Federation.

The program. supported by various theatre companies in Quebec, allows adult students to attend performances of some very fine productions. Hundreds of Quebec adult literacy and basic education students have enjoyed this experience over the past three years.

LPQ invites its Regular Members to participate in the WORD-Wide Web by calling for tickets for their students.

The Centaur Theatre has been a constant and loyal friend to the WORD-Wide Web and has provided two vouchers for each of their six plays (subject to availability) this season. Plays and dates are as follows:

• For the Pleaseure of Seeing Her Again - Sept. 29-Oct. 25
• How I Learned to Drive Oct. 27-December 6
• The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie - Jan.12-Feb. 7, 1999
• Having - Feb. 16-Mar. 28
• Waiting for Godot - Mar. 23- April 18
• Very Heaven-April 20 -May 30

For more information, please call the LPQ office.

IALS and Quebec

LPQ recently learned that the English population in Quebec will need to take a second look at the statistics for this province in Reading the Future: A Portrait of Literacy in Canada (l996).

This publication did an analysis of the Canadian data in the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS). The results of the IALS research were published in 1995 and have been generating a good deal of discussion.

Part of this discussion for English Quebec is the fact that only 4.9% of this province's subjects were English Quebecers; another 4.9% were allophone Quebecers and the remaining 90.2% were French-speaking Quebecers. This information was provided by Statistics Canada.

In fact, statistics of literacy levels in Quebec reported in Reading the Future: A Portrait of Literacy in Canada should not suggest that they reflect the picture for literacy in English Quebec. The history of education in this province indicates that differences between the two linguistic groups exist, and these differences may affect literacy levels in English Quebec. However, with such a disproportionate number of English Quebecers in the sample, we have no way of knowing actual numbers in that linguistic community.

This is noteworthy for literacy professionals who have been using the IALS data to measure and compare adult literacy in English Quebec. While we can still discuss IALS in many other ways, it is very important to also qualify the data for Quebec with an explanation of the sample and how it was comprised.

Canada Post Flight for Freedom Awards

Congratulations to Vernon Harrison, Quebec's English recipient of the Flight for Freedom Award in the category of Student Winner.

Vernon is a literacy student at ABC Action in Montreal and has achieved a tremendous amount in a short time. He is an active member of ABC Action and a true inspiration to all.

Changes to Excise Tax Act to Benefit Some Non-Profit Organizations

Revenue Canada has announced approval of proposed changes to the Excise Tax Act which allows implementation of a 100% rebate for the GST on books to charities and non-profit organizations.

Organizations whose primary purpose is the promotion of literacy are eligible to receive this rebate on books purchased for their organizations. This is important information for when organizations consider their applications to Revenue Canada for the rebate of GST on books.

For more information and to receive the text of the document, contact Ken Syer, Senior Rulings Officer, GST Rulings and Interpretations, Revenue Canada at (613) 952-9500.