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Answering member
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Alan Johnson
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Johnson, Alan (17)
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We have concentrated on phonics, but that does not mean that we have ignored the other excellent suggestions in the Rose report. Phonics has received coverage, and the issues that the hon. Lady mentions have not, but they are a crucial part of the foundation stage. Jim Rose and his people are absolutely right to highlight the importance of listening and speaking skills. In addition, the ““social and emotional aspects of learning”” project is hugely successful, and is being rolled out across primary schools. The teachers to whom I have spoken think that it is long overdue and will bring about a huge improvement in those soft skills that pupils increasingly need in the modern labour environment.
We have concentrated on phonics, but that does not mean that we have ignored the other excellent suggestions in the Rose report. Phonics has received coverage, and the issues that the hon. Lady mentions have not, but they are a crucial part of the foundation stage. Jim Rose and his people are absolutely right to highlight the importance of listening and speaking skills. In addition, the ““social and emotional aspects of learning”” project is hugely successful, and is being rolled out across primary schools. The teachers to whom I have spoken think that it is long overdue and will bring about a huge improvement in those soft skills that pupils increasingly need in the modern labour environment.
Answered by
Alan Johnson
(Labour)
Asked by
Baroness Teather
(Liberal Democrat)
Answering body
Department for Education and Skills
Type
Oral answers to questions
The Government were quick to require schools to teach phonics, but that was only one area highlighted by the Rose report. Why have the Government not addressed other areas, such as speaking and listening skills, which are a foundation for achieving literacy and numeracy?
Subjects
Standards; School leaving; Literacy; Basic skills; Numeracy
Date
12 October 2006
Reference
450 c432-3
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
House
House of Commons
My hon. Friend is right that there is more to do, and I have just described the initiatives that we are introducing. At the heart of the issue there is an expectation of high attainment and absolutely no excuses. If we get the basics right, and if, for instance, we can ensure that children succeed at level 4, that key stage at which they leave primary school with the basics of English and mathematics, everything else in their future education can be built on that platform. All the evidence shows that that is the crucial stage. We have moved from 63 per cent. of pupils reaching that stage in English to 79 per cent. of pupils doing so, but we need to move further. I agree with my hon. Friend that more has to be done, but of course that does not detract from all the excellent work that teachers and head teachers—not politicians—are doing in our schools to bring about the enormous improvements that have taken place in the past nine years.
My hon. Friend is right that there is more to do, and I have just described the initiatives that we are introducing. At the heart of the issue there is an expectation of high attainment and absolutely no excuses. If we get the basics right, and if, for instance, we can ensure that children succeed at level 4, that key stage at which they leave primary school with the basics of English and mathematics, everything else in their future education can be built on that platform. All the evidence shows that that is the crucial stage. We have moved from 63 per cent. of pupils reaching that stage in English to 79 per cent. of pupils doing so, but we need to move further. I agree with my hon. Friend that more has to be done, but of course that does not detract from all the excellent work that teachers and head teachers—not politicians—are doing in our schools to bring about the enormous improvements that have taken place in the past nine years.
Answered by
Alan Johnson
(Labour)
Asked by
John Robertson
(Labour)
Answering body
Department for Education and Skills
Type
Oral answers to questions
I thank my right hon. Friend for his answer. I welcome the Government’s response and the investment that they are making to improve standards of literacy and numeracy, but does he agree that many school leavers do not achieve the basic standards, and that there is still a genuine problem? Even with the Government’s best efforts, we have to do more about that. Will he consider carefully what additional help he can give to try to alleviate the problem, and will he consult people in schools to find out exactly what is required to bring such children up to standard?
Subjects
Standards; School leaving; Literacy; Basic skills; Numeracy
Date
12 October 2006
Reference
450 c432
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
House
House of Commons
Since 1997, the number of children achieving five or more A* to C GCSEs, including English and mathematics, has increased by almost nine percentage points. We are determined to ensure that every child masters the basics. From this year we will measure the proportion of children achieving five A* to C grades, including English and mathematics. We are investing £990 million in personalised learning to provide more catch-up lessons in English and maths. The key stage 3 curriculum and English and maths GCSEs are being reviewed to emphasise functional skills.
Since 1997, the number of children achieving five or more A* to C GCSEs, including English and mathematics, has increased by almost nine percentage points. We are determined to ensure that every child masters the basics. From this year we will measure the proportion of children achieving five A* to C grades, including English and mathematics. We are investing £990 million in personalised learning to provide more catch-up lessons in English and maths. The key stage 3 curriculum and English and maths GCSEs are being reviewed to emphasise functional skills.
Answered by
Alan Johnson
(Labour)
Asked by
John Robertson
(Labour)
Answering body
Department for Education and Skills
Type
Oral answers to questions
What additional measures his Department has considered in order to reduce the number of school leavers not attaining basic standards of literacy and numeracy.
Subjects
Standards; School leaving; Literacy; Basic skills; Numeracy
Date
12 October 2006
Reference
450 c432
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
House
House of Commons
I shall ignore that barbed remark, which wounded me deeply. It is extraordinary that anyone from the Conservative Front Bench should stand up and make criticisms about literacy and numeracy. The National Foundation for Educational Research published a report in 1996 that showed that for 50 years we had flat-lined on literacy and numeracy. Jim Rose, whom I mentioned earlier, said in the opening paragraph of his review of teaching of early reading—an independent review—"““Over the first nine years of the National Curriculum””—"
that is, 1989 to 1998—"““very little impact was made on raising standards of reading. . . That changed markedly with the advent of the National Literacy Strategy in 1998.””"
I applaud the previous Government for introducing accountability, introducing the regulator and ensuring that there were standards. However, nine years after they did that, nothing had happened, so we have put a huge amount of effort through teachers and head teachers to give children the skills that they need. We have raised educational attainment in literacy and numeracy massively, which is why people from countries all round the world are coming to the Britain to see how we did it.
I shall ignore that barbed remark, which wounded me deeply. It is extraordinary that anyone from the Conservative Front Bench should stand up and make criticisms about literacy and numeracy. The National Foundation for Educational Research published a report in 1996 that showed that for 50 years we had flat-lined on literacy and numeracy. Jim Rose, whom I mentioned earlier, said in the opening paragraph of his review of teaching of early reading—an independent review—"““Over the first nine years of the National Curriculum””—"
that is, 1989 to 1998—"““very little impact was made on raising standards of reading. . . That changed markedly with the advent of the National Literacy Strategy in 1998.””"
I applaud the previous Government for introducing accountability, introducing the regulator and ensuring that there were standards. However, nine years after they did that, nothing had happened, so we have put a huge amount of effort through teachers and head teachers to give children the skills that they need. We have raised educational attainment in literacy and numeracy massively, which is why people from countries all round the world are coming to the Britain to see how we did it.
Answered by
Alan Johnson
(Labour)
Asked by
John Hayes
(Conservative)
Answering body
Department for Education and Skills
Type
Oral answers to questions
Millions of Britons, without the ability to read a story to their children or write a letter, feel cheated. One in three employers send their staff for remedial training to teach them to read, write and count; and even if the Government reach their targets in 2020, 4 million Britons will not have the literacy skills expected of an 11-year-old. With 50,000 school leavers each year functionally illiterate or innumerate, do not the Government realise that they must tackle the skills problem at its root, in primary schools, or is it just that the Secretary of State does not have the skills to do the job?
Subjects
Standards; School leaving; Literacy; Basic skills; Numeracy
Date
12 October 2006
Reference
450 c433-4
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
House
House of Commons
In my reply to the question asked by my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow, North-West (John Robertson), I said that £990 million is being invested in personalised learning. We have asked Christine Gilbert to produce a report on the subject, which is imminent. The hon. Member for South-West Bedfordshire (Andrew Selous) is right: we should concentrate on catch-up, and on ensuring that children who do not reach the right standard at level 2 and level 3 receive the kind of attention that they need to reach that key stage at level 4. Some 66 per cent. of children who reach the right standard in English at level 4 aged 11 will go on to obtain five good GCSEs, but only 9 per cent of those who do not reach that standard will do the same. Level 4 is a crucial stage. The hon. Gentleman is right, but that is why I spoke about almost £1 billion going into personalised learning and catch-up, which is crucial to improving results.
In my reply to the question asked by my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow, North-West (John Robertson), I said that £990 million is being invested in personalised learning. We have asked Christine Gilbert to produce a report on the subject, which is imminent. The hon. Member for South-West Bedfordshire (Andrew Selous) is right: we should concentrate on catch-up, and on ensuring that children who do not reach the right standard at level 2 and level 3 receive the kind of attention that they need to reach that key stage at level 4. Some 66 per cent. of children who reach the right standard in English at level 4 aged 11 will go on to obtain five good GCSEs, but only 9 per cent of those who do not reach that standard will do the same. Level 4 is a crucial stage. The hon. Gentleman is right, but that is why I spoke about almost £1 billion going into personalised learning and catch-up, which is crucial to improving results.
Answered by
Alan Johnson
(Labour)
Asked by
Andrew Selous
(Conservative)
Answering body
Department for Education and Skills
Type
Oral answers to questions
Why do we allow children to keep progressing through the school years when they have serious difficulty in reading? Frighteningly high numbers of children in the higher years of our secondary and upper schools cannot read well. The head teachers to whom I speak in my constituency would like the flexibility, within existing budgets, to give intensive remedial reading provision to those children. Why can they not do that?
Subjects
Standards; School leaving; Literacy; Basic skills; Numeracy
Date
12 October 2006
Reference
450 c433
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
House
House of Commons
What additional measures his Department has considered in order to reduce the number of school leavers not attaining basic standards of literacy and numeracy.
What additional measures his Department has considered in order to reduce the number of school leavers not attaining basic standards of literacy and numeracy.
Asked by
John Robertson
(Labour)
Answered by
Alan Johnson
(Labour)
Answering body
Department for Education and Skills
Oral questions - Lead
Status
Answered
Tabled on
9 October 2006
For answer on
12 October 2006
Answered on
12 October 2006
Since 1997, the number of children achieving five or more A* to C GCSEs, including English and mathematics, has increased by almost nine percentage points. We are determined to ensure that every child masters the basics. From this year we will measure the proportion of children achieving five A* to C grades, including English and mathematics. We are investing £990 million in personalised learning to provide more catch-up lessons in English and maths. The key stage 3 curriculum and English and maths GCSEs are being reviewed to emphasise functional skills.
Subjects
Standards; School leaving; Literacy; Basic skills; Numeracy
Date
12 October 2006
Reference
92860; 450 c432
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
House
House of Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many employees in his Department requested training to improve their (a) literacy and (b) numeracy skills in each year since 2002.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many employees in his Department requested training to improve their (a) literacy and (b) numeracy skills in each year since 2002.
Asked by
Nick Gibb
(Conservative)
Answered by
Alan Johnson
(Labour)
Answering body
Department of Trade and Industry
Type
Written questions
Status
Answered
Tabled on
26 October 2005
For answer on
28 October 2005
Answered on
7 December 2005
Figures for literacy and numeracy take up in the Department are not held centrally. These items are discussed and dealt with locally in each group within DTI. Individuals discuss and review their training and development needs with their line managers as part of the performance management process. Any skills gaps in literacy or numeracy are identified and the appropriate help in a number of ways, for example, through training courses, on the job training or the Skills for Life Programme at an external learning establishment. Staff can also approach their union learning representative for advice and sources of help on how to improve their literacy and numeracy.
Subjects
Department of Trade and Industry; Staff; Literacy; Numeracy
Date
7 December 2005
Reference
23414; 440 c1300W;440 c1300W
House
House of Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much his Department spent on in-house training on (a) literacy and (b) numeracy (i) in total and (ii) per head, in each year since 2002.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much his Department spent on in-house training on (a) literacy and (b) numeracy (i) in total and (ii) per head, in each year since 2002.
Asked by
Nick Gibb
(Conservative)
Answered by
Alan Johnson
(Labour)
Answering body
Department of Trade and Industry
Type
Written questions
Status
Answered
Tabled on
26 October 2005
For answer on
28 October 2005
Answered on
7 December 2005
The Department does not run any specific in-house training on basic literacy or numeracy skills although courses in finance and in writing skills which will cover literacy and numeracy are available. DTI training budgets are devolved among groups, therefore figures for how much DTI spends on in-house training are not available.
Subjects
Civil servants; Department of Trade and Industry; Expenditure; Government departments; Training; Literacy; Numeracy
Date
7 December 2005
Reference
23437; 440 c1300W;440 c1300W
House
House of Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's Skills Development Plan.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's Skills Development Plan.
Asked by
Nick Gibb
(Conservative)
Answered by
Alan Johnson
(Labour)
Answering body
Department of Trade and Industry
Type
Written questions
Status
Answered
Tabled on
27 October 2005
For answer on
31 October 2005
Answered on
11 November 2005
Copies of the Skills Development Plan for Department of Trade and Industry will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Subjects
Civil servants; Department of Trade and Industry; Government departments; Literacy; Basic skills; Numeracy
Date
11 November 2005
Reference
23861; 439 c769W;439 c770W
House
House of Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what methods of assessment of (a) literacy and (b) numeracy skills are used as part of the recruitment process by employees of his Department.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what methods of assessment of (a) literacy and (b) numeracy skills are used as part of the recruitment process by employees of his Department.
Asked by
Nick Gibb
(Conservative)
Answered by
Alan Johnson
(Labour)
Answering body
Department of Trade and Industry
Type
Written questions
Status
Answered
Tabled on
27 October 2005
For answer on
31 October 2005
Answered on
11 November 2005
Recruitment to my Department is competency based. Where literacy and numeracy skills are required, processes are in place to assess these skills through the application process. These include verification of formal qualifications, skills based questions and skills based tasks.
Subjects
Civil servants; Department of Trade and Industry; Government departments; Recruitment; Literacy; Numeracy
Date
11 November 2005
Reference
23793; 439 c770W;439 c771W
House
House of Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to promote uptake of the national tests in adult literacy and numeracy among employees of his Department.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to promote uptake of the national tests in adult literacy and numeracy among employees of his Department.
Asked by
Nick Gibb
(Conservative)
Answered by
Alan Johnson
(Labour)
Answering body
Department of Trade and Industry
Type
Written questions
Status
Answered
Tabled on
26 October 2005
For answer on
28 October 2005
Answered on
11 November 2005
The Skills for Life Programme and National Testing information is made available to employees that have identified need. We offer the chance to pursue the Skills for Life Numeracy and Literacy programme at an independent educational establishment such as ‘LearnDirect' on day release for employees if they so choose.
Subjects
Civil servants; Department of Trade and Industry; Government departments; Literacy; Numeracy
Date
11 November 2005
Reference
23440; 439 c770W;439 c771W
House
House of Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proportion of new recruits to his Department do not have a level 2 qualification in English and mathematics.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proportion of new recruits to his Department do not have a level 2 qualification in English and mathematics.
Asked by
Nick Gibb
(Conservative)
Answered by
Alan Johnson
(Labour)
Answering body
Department of Trade and Industry
Type
Written questions
Status
Answered
Tabled on
27 October 2005
For answer on
31 October 2005
Answered on
11 November 2005
Recruitment to my Department is competence based and there may not be a specific requirement for new recruits to hold a particular type of qualification. This type of data is not therefore collected centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Subjects
Civil servants; Department of Trade and Industry; Government departments; Recruitment; Literacy; Numeracy
Date
11 November 2005
Reference
439 c770W;439 c771W; 23769
House
House of Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what assessment he has made of the (a) intrinsic value and (b) relative value of the Programme for International Student Assessment 2000 education survey compared to other recent studies.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what assessment he has made of the (a) intrinsic value and (b) relative value of the Programme for International Student Assessment 2000 education survey compared to other recent studies.
Asked by
Nick Gibb
(Conservative)
Answered by
Alan Johnson
(Labour)
Answering body
Department for Education and Skills
Type
Written questions
Status
Answered
Tabled on
9 December 2003
For answer on
17 December 2003
Answered on
17 December 2003
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the (a) intrinsic value and (b)
relative value of the Programme for International Student Assessment 2000 education survey compared to other recent studies.
[143982]
Alan Johnson: International comparisons of pupil attainment such as the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)
offer insights into how the outcomes of our education system compare with those of other countries. PISA, which in 2000 focused on
"reading literacy" of 15-year-olds, allows us to compare pupils at the end of compulsory schooling. Together with PISA, other
international comparisons studies, such as the IEA's Progress in International Literacy Study (PIRLS) and Trends in International
Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), with their different age cohorts and subject content, help give us an objective picture of
performance across the primary and secondary sectors in relation to our world partners and competitors, complementing the data
coming out of our own national assessments. It seems clear that we are not alone in finding these studies valuable, given the large
number of countries routinely taking part in them.
Subjects
Assessments; Pupils; OECD countries; Standards; Literacy; Programme for International Student Assessment
Date
17 December 2003
Reference
143982; 415 c966W
House
House of Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what assessment he has made of the finding in the recent Skills for Life survey carried out by his Department that the expansion to access in higher education has not led to marked improvements in literacy and numeracy.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what assessment he has made of the finding in the recent Skills for Life survey carried out by his Department that the expansion to access in higher education has not led to marked improvements in literacy and numeracy.
Asked by
Nick Gibb
(Conservative)
Answered by
Alan Johnson
(Labour)
Answering body
Department for Education and Skills
Type
Written questions
Status
Answered
Tabled on
3 November 2003
For answer on
10 November 2003
Answered on
10 November 2003
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the finding in the recent Skills for
Life survey carried out by his Department that the expansion to access in higher education has not led to marked improvements in
literacy and numeracy. [136716]
Alan Johnson: The Skills for Life survey shows that education is highly correlated with literacy and numeracy skills--both in terms
of age of completing full time education and the highest qualification. The vast majority of those with degrees have Level 2 or
higher literacy and numeracy, and the converse is true for those with low level or no qualifications.
The survey provides the first national profile of adult literacy and numeracy skills and demonstrates the need for the Government to
continue its sustained drive to improve adult basic skills training and school standards. To date over 1.8 million adults have
started basic skills courses as part of the Government's `Skills for Life' programme.
Subjects
Admissions; Higher education; Literacy; Numeracy
Date
10 November 2003
Reference
136716; 413 c84W
House
House of Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will make a statement on the Education at a Glance 2003: OECD Indicators finding that in the United Kingdom 82 per cent. of the variation in student performance lies within schools.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will make a statement on the Education at a Glance 2003: OECD Indicators finding that in the United Kingdom 82 per cent. of the variation in student performance lies within schools.
Asked by
Nick Gibb
(Conservative)
Answered by
Alan Johnson
(Labour)
Answering body
Department for Education and Skills
Type
Written questions
Status
Answered
Tabled on
13 October 2003
For answer on
6 November 2003
Answered on
6 November 2003
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the "Education at a Glance" 2003:
OECD Indicators finding that in the United Kingdom 82 per cent. of the variation in student performance lies within schools.
[131954]
Alan Johnson: The OECD's "Education at a Glance" for 2003 reports the variation in reading literacy between schools in the UK to be
22.4 per cent. of the average variation in student performance across all OECD countries, and the corresponding variation in reading
literacy within UK schools to be 82.3 per cent. Taken together, these variances imply that 78.6 per cent. of the total UK variance
lay within schools, and 21.4 per cent. between.
A majority of the countries which participated in PISA 2000 showed a greater variation in performance within schools than between
schools. Compared with the UK, within--school variation was higher in Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland and
the USA. The UK had a similar level of within--school variation to Finland, Ireland and Canada. Countries which have more selection
by ability tend to show more variation between schools and less variation within them, compared to countries with less selection.
An important contributor to the variation in reading literacy performance in schools is socio-economic background. We aim through
our proposals for 14 to 19-year-olds1 to transform the learning experience for young people, so that by the age of 16 they are
committed to continued learning, whether in school, college or the workplace, whatever their home background.
Policies aimed at levelling up pupil attainment include: the school work force reform programme, the central purpose of which is to
give teachers more time to focus on activities that really make a difference--including the planning, preparation and assessment
that enable teaching and learning to be tailored to individual pupil needs; work to strengthen school leadership such as the
National Professional Qualification for Headship, now run by the National College for School Leadership (NCSL) which also runs
programmes to improve the performance of middle managers such as year heads; tracking pupil achievement more closely; and supporting
parents and encouraging them to participate in their children's learning, in line with research evidence showing (i) that parental
interest in their child's education between the ages of 11 and 16 has a more powerful effect on children's attainment than social
class, size of family and level of parental education; and (ii) that good at-home parenting has a significant impact on children's
education throughout the years of schooling.
The creation of the Children and Families Directorate and the recent publication of the Green Paper "Every Child Matters" reaffirm
the Department's commitment to making life better for children and their families.
1 14-19: opportunity and excellence.
Subjects
Education; OECD countries; Standards; Schools; Literacy
Date
6 November 2003
Reference
131954; 412 c758-60W;412 c759-60W
House
House of Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, which recent studies of literacy and numeracy standards among primary school children his Department has analysed; and what assessment he has made of these studies.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, which recent studies of literacy and numeracy standards among primary school children his Department has analysed; and what assessment he has made of these studies.
Asked by
Damian Green
(Conservative)
Answered by
Alan Johnson
(Labour)
Answering body
Department for Education and Skills
Type
Written questions
Status
Answered
Tabled on
17 July 2003
For answer on
8 September 2003
Answered on
8 September 2003
Mr. Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which recent studies of literacy and numeracy standards
among primary school children his Department has analysed; and what assessment he has made of these studies. [127920]
Alan Johnson: The Department seeks to keep abreast of all research and evaluation of standards and practice in literacy and
numeracy. On standards in England, the most comprehensive studies have been the evaluations of the National Literacy and Numeracy
Strategies by Ofsted and by the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, which found that the Strategies have had a significant
impact on the standards attained and on the quality of teaching in primary schools. On international comparisons, the Progress in
International Reading Literacy Study found that children in England are among the most able readers in the world at the age of 10.
England was ranked third of the 35 countries involved.
The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies from their inception were based on the best available research, and as our support for
literacy and numeracy standards develops further through our primary strategy, "Excellence and Enjoyment" we will continue to ensure
a sound evidence base for our policies.
Subjects
Children; Primary education; Standards; Schools; Literacy; Numeracy
Date
8 September 2003
Reference
127920; 410 c139W
House
House of Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what percentage of the workforce in the UK have at least level 2 skills; and how many adults lack basic literacy and numeracy skills. - Inc figures.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what percentage of the workforce in the UK have at least level 2 skills; and how many adults lack basic literacy and numeracy skills. - Inc figures.
Asked by
Claire Curtis-Thomas
(Labour)
Answered by
Alan Johnson
(Labour)
Answering body
Department for Education and Skills
Type
Written questions
Status
Answered
Tabled on
2 July 2003
For answer on
8 July 2003
Answered on
8 July 2003
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of the workforce in the UK have at least
level 2 skills; and how many adults lack basic literacy and numeracy skills. [124217]
Alan Johnson: The Labour Force Survey in autumn 2002 showed that 70.9 per cent. of the workforce in the UK were qualified to at
least level 2.
The International Adult Literacy Survey in 1996 estimated that in Great Britain1 there were 7.9 million adults aged 16-65 who lacked
basic literacy skills (below level 1), equivalent to 22 per cent. of the population aged 16-65. The survey also showed that 18.6
million adults lacked basic numeracy skills (below level 1), equivalent to 51 per cent. of the population aged 16-65.
1 IALS data is not available for the UK
Subjects
Adult education; Literacy; Numeracy
Date
8 July 2003
Reference
124217; 408 c683W;408 c681W
House
House of Commons