YAMASKA LITERACY COUNCIL R O A D W A Y S

May 2005 - Volume 21, Issue 4

NEWSBREAKING STATISTICS

ADULT LITERACY AND LIFE SKILLS SURVEY (ALLS)

The challenge to improve literacy performance among Canadians is far from over, according to the first round of a major new survey that measured literacy skills among individuals aged 16 to 65 in Canada and six other countries in 2003.

As in 1994 a significant number of Canadian adults had low-level literacy skills which may have had an impact on their participation in society and in the economy.

It found that the average literacy score for Canadians had not changed significantly during the nine-year period since the last major survey was conducted in 1994.

However, there was a noticeable positive change in average scores among the 5% of adults with the lowest literacy scores. Overall, the survey found a slight decline in the inequality gap between adults with the lowest literacy levels, and those with the highest.

In Canada, about 58% of adults aged 16 to 65 possessed skills in the top three literacy levels on the prose scale, indicating that they could meet most everyday reading requirements.

In general, the average performance of Canadian adults was in the middle of the pack on all four scales, prose, document comprehension, numeracy, and problem-solving.

There is an apparent decline in literacy scores among Canadian youth and parents’ level of education had a significant impact on the literacy scores of their children. At the same time, there are fewer youth with low educated parents today than there were nine years ago, so the overall performance of youth in Canada as a whole is relatively stable.

Literacy skills had a large impact on earnings in all participating countries. As literacy is becoming increasingly important as technology advances, the survey found in Canada, respondents who had medium to high literacy skills, and who were high-intensity computer users, were five times more likely to be in the top 25% of personal income earners than those with low literacy and used computers infrequently.

If you would like to read this article in full, it can be found at this internet address:
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/050511/d050511b.htm

You are invited to a

Strawberry Social & Book Exchange!

June 22nd, 5-7pm

To be held at the
Yamaska Literacy Council Office
239, rue Principale
Cowansville

This will be our year end bash. We will be serving a light supper with strawberries for dessert. Please bring a book or two to exchange. Tutors please
talk to your students about coming!

RSVP by June 11th.