Creating a National
Literacy Action Agenda

Discussion Guide

Recent issues of literacy.ca have focused on literacy in relation to families, the workplace, and the community. Those of us who are learning – or teaching – adult literacy know that it is a complex issue that interrelates with many other social and economic factors. Perhaps that's why as a nation we have yet to come up with a coherent approach to this important foundation for learning throughout life.

In early 2001, the government of Canada launched a national initiative to address concerns that many Canadian adults do not have the higher literacy skills needed in the new economy. Since then, they have been consulting widely on skills and learning as part of what is now called the “Innovation Agenda”. Throughout that time, MCL has also been working hard to see that adult literacy has the place it deserves in a national skills and learning strategy for all Canadians.

Government strategies and policies are not created in a vacuum. In this case, we are the ones whose work,
whose lives and futures will be affected by skills and learning policies developed in Ottawa or in our provincial / territorial capitals. That’s why it’s important that as a
field we are clear on what we need, what we can do ourselves, and what we should ask our governments to do.

One of MCL’s goals this year is to develop a national Literacy Action Agenda in consultation with the literacy community. Once developed and approved, this Agenda can guide our advocacy, our partnerships, and our development as a field for years to come. In addition, it will allow the community to “speak with one voice“ during the Innovation Agenda consultations.

By participating in this process you will ensure that the policies MCL advocates are grounded in the realities of literacy learners, workers, and organizations. Even more importantly, you will be helping to build the foundation of a national literacy strategy that we can all get behind. Within the literacy community, there have been a number of discussions on what needs to be done about adult literacy in Canada, and we have drawn on these to draft a preliminary Literacy Action Agenda. Now we need your help to make sure we “get it right”.

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