1 Introduction
When you have learning difficulties, you're
given limiting beliefs by many of those around you as you grow
up. You believe your family, your friends and teachers when they
say you are thick, stupid and lazy; your mindset becomes limiting
for everything else in your life, including jobs and relationships.
You have no self-belief or self-worth.
[The Cascade Foundation][1]
1. This quote from the Cascade Foundation highlights
how many adults who have difficulties in reading, writing and
maths feel about themselves. Problems with reading, writing and
maths have a huge impact on people's daily lives, including getting
and keeping a job, finding a home, understanding bills, forms
and documents, and guiding children through education. It can
affect adults in many walks of life, but also undermines the economic
performance of the country. We heard from people in work and out
of work, in prison, without a home, in the Army, and caring for
children. Anna Page, representing St Mungo's,[2]
a homeless charity working in London and the South, told us what
it is like for adults with limited literacy and numeracy skills:
The impact of not having literacy and numeracy
skills can affect every part of your life. Particularly for people
who are trying to sort out their housing situation, they may have
trouble with filling in a benefits claim form, looking for accommodation
online, or working out how much rent they can afford to pay. […]
It might be around being able to read a story to your child.[3]
As Members of Parliament, on the Business, Innovation
and Skills Select Committee at the House of Commons, we wanted
to explore: why these and other adults have been let down; what
motivates those who decide to improve their skills; and what more
the Government can do to help improve standards in reading, writing
and maths for adults across the country.
2. We received over 80 written pieces of evidence,
and several organisations submitted oral evidence, in addition
to our three formal evidence sessions at the House of Commons.[4]
We also visited Leicester, where we met several providers and
receivers of adult literacy and numeracy classes. We went to Leicester
College and Leicester Prison, where we talked with learners and
staff about their experience of adult literacy and numeracy provision.
We would like to thank everybody who contributed to this inquiry;
those contributions really helped us in understanding the issues
involved and in working out what we should recommend to the Government.
3. We received a lot of evidence from learners themselves,
and we are grateful to them for their invaluable contributions.
Tracey, a learner from Leicester College, sent in audio visual
evidence, telling us of her motivation for enrolling in English
and maths classes:
I've always had this hankering to get my maths
and my English, and prove that I can actually do it, because I've
always been treated as if I'm stupid and I don't want to be treated
as if I'm stupid anymore. I want to be able to say I can do maths.
I can already do mental maths in my head a lot better. I'm a lot
quicker at maths. Before I would just keep my mouth shut. I wouldn't
involve myself in any sums or anything because I didn't want to
show myself up.[5]
4. This Report will outline:
· the
measurements used to define the level at which adults are in literacy
and numeracy;
· the
people who teach literacy and numeracy, including organisations,
charities and volunteers, and how easy it is to find out about
this help and how it is financed;
· the
work done on raising literacy and numeracy skills in the Army,
in prisons, and for homeless people;
· how
learning can be carried out within communities and in the workplace.
· the
different people working in the Government who are involved in
raising and supporting this issue.
5. We are departing from the usual method of releasing
recommendations of Committee Reports. As well as a published written
Report, we are releasing a short video, with two Members of our
Committee—the Chair, Adrian Bailey MP, and Caroline Dinenage
MP—summarising the findings of the inquiry and the recommendations.
The video will also include clips from those who submitted audio
and audio-visual evidence, and from our oral evidence sessions.
We hope that this new approach will provide access to our findings
and recommendations for many more people than would normally read
a Select Committee Report. The Government has two months in which
to respond to our recommendations, and we will look forward to
hearing their responses to our recommendations. We lay down the
challenge to the Department to respond in kind, with both a written
response and a video.
1 The Cascade Foundation (ALE 52) extract Back
2
St Mungo's Broadway was formed in April 2014 by the merger of
two homelessness charities, St Mungo's and Broadway. The oral
and written evidence from St Mungo's was submitted before April
2014, and therefore, when Anna Page gave evidence, she represented
St Mungo's. Back
3
Q102 Back
4
The oral evidence was transcribed, and was accepted by the Committee
as formal evidence on 22 July 2014. Back
5
Leicester College transcript (ALE 82) extract Back
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