Literacy news
One-fifth of teenagers leave school without the literacy levels needed for everyday life
11 May 2010
A new research report from Sheffield University has revealed that 17% of 16 to 19-year-olds in England are functionally illiterate, meaning they cannot handle much more than straightforward questions. Their reading standard is at or below that of an 11-year-old.
Greg Brookes, professor of education at Sheffield University and one of the study's authors, told the Times Educational Supplement that school-leavers in these categories had a lower standard of literacy than is "needed to partake fully in employment, family life, citizenship and to enjoy reading for its own sake".
The researchers found teenagers' average reading scores had risen between 1948 and 1960 and remained "remarkably constant" between 1960 and 1988. Between 1997 and 2004, scores had "gently" risen and then plateaued. But they discovered little improvement in teenagers' writing between 1979 and 2004.
Exam scores show teenagers' writing has improved between 1998 and 2009.
The National Union of Teachers (NUT) said the study was proof of a "long tail in underachievement".
John Bangs, the NUT's Head of Education, said:
"There are no magic solutions, but one-to-one tuition, support for parents, family learning and a quality professional development strategy for teachers all help. The message to government is that they deconstruct what is already there at their peril."
Read the full Guardian article here.
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