Issue #19
Winter 2006

Riding The Wave:

How will the federal election affect
progress on a pan-Canadian literacy agenda?

IN THE LAST ISSUE (SUMMER 2005) we said it was a “hot time for literacy”. Minister of State Claudette Bradshaw was out consulting the literacy community nation-wide, and a range of national, provincial and local literacy groups were working on advice and action plans to feed into a comprehensive national strategy.

January 23, 2006: a
date to mark with an X!

For voting and election
information visit:
www.literacy.ca

Over the Fall, this work continued at an even more feverish pace. In November, a multi-sectoral advisory committee convened by Minister Bradshaw met and produced Towards a Fully Literate Canada: Achieving National Goals Through a Comprehensive Pan-Canadian Literacy Strategy. This report outlines a unified literacy community vision and an urgent call for the federal government to work across departments, across jurisdictions, and with multiple stakeholders to help provide coherence and adequate resources for adult literacy across Canada. The report builds on years of study and consultation inside and beyond the literacy community.

Also over the Fall, other important events were taking place.

• In October, delegates at the 12th annual Literacy Action Day found MPs more receptive and supportive than ever.
• The Canadian results of the International Adult Literacy and Skills Survey (IALSS), released in November, indicate that 4 in 10 working-age Canadians rank below the literacy skill level considered necessary for success in our information-based society and economy – a proportion virtually unchanged from a decade ago.
• Also in November, the federal government presented an economic statement and a “Plan for Growth and Prosperity” that promised $3.5 billion to enhance Canada’s workforce. Increasing access to literacy and essential skills was one of the priorities targeted. (We understand that the bulk of these new investments