SETTING THE CONTEXT

The current environment for literacy work in Canada presents a disconnected or a contradictory picture. This contradiction arises when the social and economic imperative for literacy is balanced against the current investment in literacy and the reality in which literacy programs and literacy workers function.

What we Know about Literacy

Findings of the International Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey (IALLS)(2005) indicate that although literacy is more important than ever in society, four out of ten Canadians do not have the literacy skills necessary for every day life. Furthermore, according to a comparison of the results of the results of the IALLS and the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) there has been little change between 1994 and 2003. ^{Footnote 1}

Similarly, in Myers and de Broucker’s report Too Many Left Behind: Canada’s Adult Education and Training System for the Canadian Policy Research Network (2006) states that “a large proportion of Canada’s adult population is not equipped to participate in a knowledge-based society” (p. 2). The authors contend that increasing the skills of those with the least education will lead to increased productivity.

For this reason they note that the “skills development of the least educated should be as much on the economic agenda as it is on the social agenda.” Recommendations from this report include a vision for adult learning where all adults have opportunities to upgrade their basic skills with a public policy framework and funding that can make this happen. ^{Footnote 2}

The findings of the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC)’s 2006 Adult Literacy Forum– Investing in Our Potential: Towards Quality Adult Literacy Programs in Canada (Faris, & Blunt, 2006) also emphasize the importance of having a highly literate population, not only to succeed in the global economy, but also to ensure social cohesion and greater participation on the part of Canada’s citizenry. As described in the forum findings, “Two threads, Canada’s global economic competitiveness and national quality of life, were woven into virtually every forum panel and workshop presentation—and were issues underscored by key note speakers.” ^{Footnote 3} In the recommendations, forum delegates call for strong federal government leadership in an approach to literacy policy and provision. ^{Footnote 4}

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