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| This article first appeared in the September 2002
issue of Literacy Today
(issue no. 32). |
In April 2001, the Prime Minister launched Skills for Life,
the national strategy for improving adult literacy and numeracy
skills. Literacy Today editor Viv Bird reviews progress.
The last 18 months have seen practitioner meetings, consultation
documents, pathfinder projects and new approaches for teaching
adult basic skills - all of which are designed to bring about
rapid change in a profession that had almost forgotten the meaning
of the term 'professional development'.
In this period, new national standards and four national curriculum
documents have been produced for literacy, numeracy, English
for speakers of other languages and adult learners who are at
the earliest stages of reading and writing. Seven new entry
level qualifications and new national tests in adult literacy
and numeracy have been introduced. Diagnostic assessment tools
and core learning materials have been trialled and will be published
in autumn 2002.
Overall funding for adult literacy and numeracy provision increased
27 per cent between 2001-02 and 2002-03. Basic skills tuition
continues to be free to the learner, while colleges and other
providers have been encouraged to expand the number of courses
through a weighted funding system that acknowledges the higher
costs in delivering basic skills. The Get On 'gremlins' publicity
campaign resulted in 60,000 people calling the freephone number.
According to the Government's Adult Basic Skills Strategy Unit
(ABSSU) in Skills for Life: The first year 2001-2002,
91,000 adults in England improved their basic skills and of
these, 1,250 passed the new national tests. Five hundred and
sixty teacher trainers and over 8,000 teachers have been trained
in the new approach (or 'new learning infrastructure' as it
is called). Awarding bodies and higher education institutions
are developing new teaching qualifications, linked to national
training standards.
So, is the Skills for Life strategy achieving what it set out
to do? Strategy director Susan Pember believes that a lot has
been achieved in a very short time. She warns, however, that
key to the success of the strategy is getting other partners
on board. "Traditionally, the key partners for adult basic skills
have all been in the education service but they do not come
into contact with our potential clients. That is why, for example,
health professionals and librarians are so important." She also
stresses the important role of Government departments and agencies
which are well placed to reach the priority groups identified
in the strategy, such as the unemployed, public sector employees,
low-skilled people in employment and other groups at risk of
exclusion including asylum seekers and homeless people. "The
expectation, in the future," she says, "is that information,
advice and guidance services will be fully trained and well-experienced
in how to signpost people into basic skills provision, while
Job Centres and libraries will be using trained teachers to
put on their own basic skills courses."
Certainly, practitioner response to the new infrastructure has
generally been very positive regarding the standards, curriculum
and supporting materials. There is considerable concern, however,
about the proposed assessment materials (initial and diagnostic)
and the national tests, especially in the hands of non-basic
skills specialists. What guarantees are there that these assessment
tools will be used sensitively with adults who may well have
negative experiences of education and, often, low self-esteem?
According to Susan Pember, ABSSU has invested a lot of energy
in promoting the wider benefits of improved basic skills. The
example she gives is the link between literacy, health and the
therapeutic benefits of reading. This is important work and
provides the national framework for effective partnerships at
local level. But it takes time to change attitudes and practice
in large institutions such as health and social services which
have their own performance goals and working cultures. Raising
awareness of basic skills issues among other professionals does
not necessarily translate smoothly into appropriate referrals
into basic skills tuition. The Pathfinder evaluation of work
with other agencies points to many adults having significant
literacy and numeracy problems, compounded by their immediate
circumstances, which means that learning progression is rarely
straightforward. Will local learning and skills councils fund
small classes, or individual tuition, as a way of supporting
the social inclusion agenda?
In any major policy initiative, getting the balance right is
crucial. The experience of implementing the National Literacy
Strategy in schools suggests that basic skills teachers will
need a lot of support and training on how to deliver the new
'infrastructure' effectively, as well as ongoing professional
development on how to help students best meet their individual
learning goals. But having better-qualified basic skills teachers
is a positive start and good news for the thousands of adults
who need help.
| Skills for Life: the first year 2001-2002 is available
on 0845 60 222 60, reference SFLAR1. A downloadble version
and further information are at www.dfes.gov.uk/readwriteplus.
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