1 The size of the adult literacy and
numeracy problem
1. The United Kingdom has relatively high numbers
of adults with low levels of literacy and numeracy compared with
other countries.[2] In
2003, research[3] commissioned
by the former Department for Education and Skills suggested that
23.8 million adults (75% of the adult population of working age)
in England had numeracy skills below Level 2, the level of a good
pass at GCSE, and 17.8 million (56 %) had literacy skills below
this level (Figure 1). Prior to the 2003 research the scale
of the problem had not been identified.[4]Figure
1: Literacy and numeracy qualification levels and their equivalents
| Literacy and numeracy skill level
| Functional level
| General
| National Curriculum Level
|
| Level 2 |
| GCSE grade
A*-C
| |
| Level 1 | Functional literacy
| GCSE grade
D-G
| 4 to 5 (11 years) |
| Entry Level 3 | Functional numeracy
| | 3 (9 to 11 years)
|
| Entry Level 2 |
| | 2 (7 to 9 years)
|
| Entry Level 1 |
| | 1 (5 to 7 years)
|
Source: C&AG's Report, Figure 1
2. The 2003 research also suggested that 5.2 million
people lacked functional (Level 1) literacy and 6.8 million people
lacked functional (Entry Level 3) numeracy.[5]
The Department believes these levels represent the best approximation
to what counts as functional competence for everyday living.[6]
3. The problem of high numbers of adults with poor
numeracy and literacy skills is a legacy of a number of decades
of schooling which did not equip enough people with basic literacy
and numeracy skills. The Department believes that other contributing
factors may have included the failure of some employers to consistently
signal that they wanted these skills and would pay higher wages
for them, some individuals' lack of aspiration and a poor national
learning culture.[7]
4. The percentage of pupils leaving school with good
GCSEs (grades A*-C) in English and mathematics is improving, but
a large number of pupils are still leaving school without GCSEs
in English and mathematics. In 2006-07, some 51,000 pupils (around
8%) left school without Level 1 (GCSE grade D-G) and 39,000 pupils
(6%) without Level 1 English (Figure 2). Figure 3
shows regional variations in the number of pupils leaving schools
in England without GCSEs in English and mathematics.
Figure 2: The percentage of pupils leaving schools
in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales without achieving
GCSEs in English and mathematics
Source; Department for Children, Schools and Families
and the devolved administrations
Figure 3: Regional variations in the percentage
of pupils leaving maintained English schools without achieving
GCSEs in English and mathematics
Note: The data in Figure 2 is not comparable
with the data in Figure 3. Figure 3 shows data for
pupils in local authority maintained schools only. Figure 2
covers pupils in all schools.
Source: Department for Children, Schools and Families
5. Further reforms to the teaching of 14-19 year
olds are designed to improve the basic skills of school leavers.
These reforms included the introduction of functional skills in
GCSEs in 2009 and 2010, changes to performance tables in schools
to pick up whether schools are delivering English and mathematics
as well as the rest of the five GCSE indicators,[8]
and the introduction of a new suite of diplomas which have functional
competence in literacy and numeracy integrated within them.[9]
2 Q 7 Back
3
The 2003 Skills for Life survey Back
4
Qq 35, 48, 59-61; C&AG's Report, para 1.5 Back
5
Q 35; C&AG's Report, para 1.5 Back
6
Q 12 Back
7
Qq 10, 66-67, 74-75 Back
8
The percentage of pupils who achieve at least five good GCSEs
(grades A*-C), including English and mathematics is considered
a key measure of success in schools. Back
9
Qq 11, 18-20, 36-37, 71-73; C&AG's Report, paras 2.8-2.9 Back
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