Adult Literacies 2020:Strategic Guidance

Clare El AzebbiPolicy Manager – Adult Literacies & ESOL

Email: clare.elazebbi@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

Aims

Scottish Government policy overview

Literacies policy development

The way forward

The Scottish Government’s purpose

• A Smarter Scotland

• 15 national outcomes in the Concordat with CoSLA characterising the kind of country the Scottish Government wants to build. Including:

‘We are better educated, more skilled and more successful, renowned for our research and innovation

Our young people are successful learners, confident individuals, effective contributors and responsible citizens

Our public services are high quality, continually improving, efficient ’

• National indicators and targets include:‘Reduce number of working age people with severe literacy and numeracy problems’

► Literacies seen as helping employees develop vocational and wider employability skills as well as contributing to national economic success (Skills Strategy)

Literacy Action Plan

THE ADULT ESOL STRATEGY FOR SCOTLAND

Adult Literacies in Scotland 2010-2020

Working and learning together to build stronger communities

                                                                           

                                    

Recent policy developments in literacy and numeracy

Literacy Commission report Dec 2009

Literacy Action Plan:

Early Years through to Adulthood: Oct 2010

SSAL 2009: published 13 Aug 2010

HMIE aspect report Jan 2010

Adult Literacies 2020: Strategic Guidance: Dec 2010

Literacy Action Plan

• Literacy Commission Report: recommended need for Literacy Action Plan – from early years to adults

• Vision: to raise standards of literacy for all from the early years to adulthood

• Launched October 2010

• Commitment to revise strategic guidance for adults

Scottish Survey of Adult Literacies 2009 (SSAL 2009)

• First survey for more than 10 years

• Nearly 2,000 interviewed

• Provides a clear picture of literacies levels in Scotland

• Helped shape the refreshed strategy

Scottish Survey of Adult Literacies 2009 (SSAL 2009)

› Spiky profiles

› 73.3% - appropriate for a contemporary society

› 26.7% - some literacies challenges

› 3.6% of 26.7% - 1 in 28 – very limited literacies capabilities

Survey - Other main findings

Lower literacies capabilities are strongly correlated with poverty and deprivation within Scotland

Stronger skills are associated with many other forms of advantage, such as better paying jobs and living in a less deprived area.

Overall literacy skills in Scotland are comparable with many of the world’s leading economies.

Adult Literacies in Scotland 2020: strategic guidance

Vision:

By 2020 Scotland's society and economy will bestronger because more of its adults are able to read, write and use numbers effectively in order to handle information, communicate with others, express ideas and opinions, make decisions and solve problems, as family members, workers,citizens and lifelong learners.

ALIS 2020: Outcomes

ALIS 2020: Linked themes

Literacies not isolated - part of wider socialand economic agendas

Literacies, Employability and Work

Literacies and Financial Capability

Literacies and Family

Literacies, Health and Wellbeing

Particular groups

• Offenders and ex-offenders

• Adults whose first language is not English

Commitments

• Each sector to agree measurable and meaningful commitments against each action point

• Encouraged to report back to Scottish Government on annual basis

• Plans will be used to help measure progress and evidence the difference we are making

Implementing ALIS 2020

National Strategic Implementation Group –

representatives from key sectors within learning

and business - will:

advise on the implementation of the strategy feedback to Scottish Government on progress within

their sector

• Met for the first time on 10 March 2011

ALIS 2020 Strategic Implementation Group

• Consider key priorities for 2011/12

• 3 Working Groups set up:

> Literacies for and within work> Professional development> Measuring impact

Who is implementing the new strategy?