Literacy Facts
What Is Literacy?
The basic reading, writing, math, communication and computer skills needed to be successful in the home, at work and in the community.
International Adult Literacy Surveys
The only source of statistical information we have about literacy in Canada is from the International Adult Literacy and Skills Surveys (IALSS).
This study was first conducted in 1994, and then again in 2003. It involved samples from 7 industrialized nations, and included face-to-face testing in people’s homes. People ranged in age from 16-65 and were given everyday reading tasks at various levels of difficulty, in three areas:
- Prose - Knowledge/skills needed to understand and use information from texts (books, newspapers, etc.)
- Document - Knowledge/skills required to find and use information from documents (job applications, maps, charts, etc.)
- Quantitative - Knowledge/skills required to apply numeracy (math) operations (balancing a chequebook, calculating a tip, etc.)
Countries involved were: Sweden, Netherlands, Germany, Canada (4th overall), United States, Switzerland, Poland
Literacy Levels
The IALS survey divided people’s literacy skills into 4 levels.
- Level 1 - Individuals have great difficulty reading and are generally aware that they have a problem.
- Level 2 - Individuals can read, but not well. They can deal with material that is simple and clearly laid out. They often don't recognize their limitations.
- Level 3 - This is considered by many countries to be a basic skills level, but some operations require higher skills. Individuals read well but have some problems with more complex tasks.
- Level 4 - Individuals have a high level of literacy and can meet most reading demands.
Currently, the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities funds LBS agencies to work with adults who fall under IALS levels 1 and 2. LBS agencies then break skills down further into a learning matrix of 5 levels.
Where We Fit
The IALLS study of 2003 states that 42% of Canadians are at the lowest levels and do not have the skills to meet everyday literacy demands. These figures are slightly higher in Ontario and higher still in the QUILL region.
In Ontario, 1.3 million people scored at Level 1. Of these,
61% were immigrants;
62% were employed and 9% unemployed;
46% had not completed high school education and 32% had.
Of the 2.1 million people who had Level 2 skills,
33% were immigrants;
72% were employed and 9% were unemployed;
25% had not completed high school education and 36% had.
While the current situation raises concern for the future of our country, there is strong evidence that even modest investments in human capital can yield worthwhile benefits. The C.D. Howe Institute report, Public investment in skills: Are Canadians doing enough?”, that was released in 2005 states that a 1% increase in the average literacy rate would result in a 1.5% increase in income per person and a permanent 2.5% increase in productivity. Another report by Statistics Canada in 2004, “Literacy scores, human capital and growth across 14 OECD countries”, states that investment in human capital, such as education, is three times as important as investment in physical capital is to economic growth.
If upgrading programs were only funded to work with those at the lowest level of literacy skills, between the ages of 16-55, and who were not immigrants, estimates state that could be about 4-8% of the population, or about 1 in 25 people.
Other Key Facts
- Literacy affects employment stability and opportunities
- Literacy levels are not always associated with educational attainment
- Employed Ontarians are more likely to have higher literacy levels than those unemployed.
- Levels decline after age 45. Literacy is like a muscle--if you don't use it, you lose it
- There is little difference of the literacy results between men and women.
- There is a strong connection between low literacy levels and poor health, higher than average rates of unemployment, low income, poor academic achievement by their children, poor social integration, low self-esteem and above average rates of incarceration.
Youth Facts
- Most youth fall somewhere in the middle with their literacy skills. Very few are at the lowest level or at the highest level. About 26% could benefit from upgrading.
- The high school drop-out rate for the QUILL region is about 4% higher than the provincial average (29%).
- There is a direct relationship between the literacy levels of youth and the literacy levels of their parents
- Those still in school out-perform those who left high school.
Senior Facts
- Majority of people at the lowest level of literacy are seniors.
- 40% of seniors did not complete primary school
- Only a small deterioration of skills is evident with age, and more with not using the skills they have
- Seniors with low literacy skills have a big impact on health care useage:
- inability to read/understand prescriptions
- high cause of seniors admitted to hospitals is due to effects of not following prescription instructions
- Seniors will low literacy skills affect their ability to perform in a volunteer capacity in their community
Literacy and Health
- People with low literacy skills are unable to access health information which is often provided in a print format
- Low literacy skills undermine health promotion efforts that rely on printed communication
- Patients undergoing surgery are often required to read consent forms that outline procedures and list possible risks, and are asked to sign these consent forms. People with low literacy skills often consent to treatment but are not truly informed.
- Follow-up care instructions for health issues are often given in writing and poor literacy skills get in the way of a speedy recovery.
Literacy and Safety in the Workplace
- A recent survey of people in 100 different occupations, almost 99% reported they are required to read for their jobs.
- Most workplaces post safety regulations and emergency procedures
- Studies show that poor literacy skills in the workforce are directly associated with lower output, higher rates of absenteeism, higher accident rates, poorer quality control, more customer complaints, higher operating costs and lower profit.
Literacy and Crime
- Correctional Services Canada estimates that as many as 65% of prison inmates have low literacy skills.
- One long-term study showed that children living in a high-risk area that participated in a pre-school literacy program had significantly lower rates of arrest as youth and adults than children living in the same high-risk area who did not participate in the literacy program.
- Another long-term study with inmates showed that there was a 50% reduction in re-arrests in those who received educational intervention while in jail.
Literacy, Employment and Income
- On average, those with the lowest literacy skills work about a month less per year than those at the highest level.
- Unemployed people are three times as likely to be at the lowest level.
- Those with lower literacy skills are often in lower-income jobs.
- Growth industries are those whose employees have high levels of skills—declining industries are characterized by lower skills.
- Growing occupations are characterized by higher skills.
- New jobs require more reading.
- Social assistance recipients have less education and significantly lower literacy skills than those receiving employment benefits.
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