Literacy news
Minister for Children and Families calls on local areas to prioritise literacy
10 Dec 2010
Speaking at the National Literacy Trust’s conference for leaders in local government the Minister of State for Children and Families, Sarah Teather said that local areas should prioritise literacy as a cost-effective way to improve life chances.
At the event on the 1 December the Minister praised the work of the National Literacy Trust and their local partners in embedding literacy support across communities. Presently 75% of local services regularly encounter people with literacy difficulties, yet 50% of these do nothing. The National Literacy Trust is currently working with 21 local areas to improve literacy levels by targeting support to the most disadvantaged families, working with a range of professionals including housing officers and midwives.
The Leaders in Literacy conference last week showcased how this work is having a tangible impact, prompting more parents to support their children’s reading, writing and communication and to develop their own skills. Delegates heard how community-wide involvement in literacy is helping improve educational attainment and getting more people into training, employment and volunteering.
Minister Sarah Teather says:
Any individual who wants to participate fully in society, to earn a reasonable income, enjoy meaningful work, strong relationships, and emotional wellbeing – stands a much better chance of achieving all of these things if they’re able to read, write and speak effectively.
And, thanks in part to the National Literacy Trust’s Partners in Literacy project, we also know how deeply literacy is connected with other social issues. The quality of housing, health, maternity and other services in a community bear a strong and direct relationship to the literacy skills of those living in that community.
Director of the National Literacy Trust, Jonathan Douglas, says:
Since 2004, literacy levels in the UK have stagnated. One in six adults in the UK has poor literacy and this figure is not changing. The annual costs of poor literacy have been estimated conservatively at £1.73 billion. In these times of austerity literacy is a way for people to help themselves.
Poor literacy skills are part of a vicious cycle of factors that lead to disadvantage and poverty of opportunity. Research shows the links between low literacy and crime, poor health choices, special needs support, low educational attainment and unemployment.
The National Literacy Trust has been working with local authorities to improve literacy levels for over sixteen years. This work has focused on improving literacy support for the most vulnerable. As every community is different, the National Literacy Trust always works in partnership with local areas.
You can read more about the conference here, and find out how you can work in partnership with the National Literacy Trust to improve literacy levels in your local area here.
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