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Britain’s Literacy Problem: Learning From Our Mistakes

 

 

 

by the University of Southampton Education School Student ID: 27028151

 

 

 

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Contents

Page Reference

1. Executive Summary p. 3

2. The Problem pp. 4-6

3. Why should we do something?

a. Health

b. Crime

c. Employment

d. Conclusion

pp. 7-9

p. 6

p. 7

pp. 7-8

p. 8

4. The Recommendations pp. 10-11

5. Further Research p. 12

6. Bibliography pp. 13-15

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Executive Summary

• Literacy is one of the most important indicators of an individual’s future

prospects

• However, Britain’s international standing with regards to literacy is poor

• Cuts to successful literacy projects have been damaging

• Literacy affects all spheres of society, from health, to crime, to the

economy, and Britain’s low literacy rates may be affecting skills,

productivity, and consequently its ability to compete in the international

marketplace

• It is thought that low literacy rates might be a key player in restricting

the growth of the British economy following the recession

• Most important factors affecting literacy are book ownership and

parental attitudes to reading

• We recommend:

1. Abolishing  league  tables  and  cash  incentives  for  schools  and  

providing  teachers  and  headmasters  increased  autonomy  with  

regards  to  literacy  curriculum  

2. Facilitating  closer  and  more  frequent  teacher-­‐parent  

communication    

3. Reinstate  previously  removed  funding  for  proven  literacy  projects  

such  as  book  donations  to  families  of  young  children  

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The Problem

iteracy is well known to be crucial in an individual’s life, as it affects

their education and consequently their future prospects1. However,

recent data concludes that Britain is severely underperforming in

regards to this area, across all ages. This problem has likely been

exacerbated by the fact that since the financial crash, funding for several

successful national projects and charities, such as Booktrust2, Every Child a

Reader3, and UnionLearn4, has been cut, and replaced with what we view as

an over-emphasis on teaching synthetic phonics5, which independently, whilst

focussing on ability, does not teach enjoyment of reading, and therefore

consequently does not consolidate habits, factors proven to improve a child’s

literacy and therefore their prospects6.

• According to the most recent PISA scores, Britain has only the 16th highest student literacy out of all OECD countries7

• In a similar survey conducted by the OECD in 2013, English 16 to 24

year olds performed even worse, coming 22nd out of 24 countries

measured8

• Shockingly, Britain also has the lowest child wellbeing of all UN

countries surveyed in 2011, below virtually every European or western

nation9

• More people are at the lowest level of literacy now (1.7m) than in

2003 (1.1m)10

• A child who enters school without basic literacy skills is three to four

times more likely to drop out11

• Around one in four pupils fail to master the basics of writing at the end

of primary school12

• The same proportion of children in London leave primary school

without the ability to read or write13

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• Furthermore, results from 2011’s key stage 2 tests show that around

100,000 pupils in England failed to reach the expected standard in

English14

• PIAAC data shows that there is a greater inequality of literacy levels

between the top and the bottom of the pay scale, and between those in

full-time employment and those who are unemployed than in any other country surveyed15

• The most recent comparative study of the reading attainment of ten

year olds – the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study, found

that Britain ranked 23rd out of 29 countries in terms of pupils’ attitudes

to reading16

• This is despite the fact that reading for pleasure is strongly associated

with higher literacy and attainment in school and is even more

important for children’s cognitive development than their parents’ level

of education or occupational status, or any other socio-economic

factor17

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19

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Why should we do something?

Health

longside cuts and increasing demand, the National Health Service is

currently under growing financial pressures, with research estimates

predicting that it will face a £30bn funding deficit by 2020, with

preventable illnesses - caused in large part by negative health

behaviours, such as smoking, heavy-drinking and obesity - contributing

substantially to that strain21. Furthermore, the cost of mental health in England

is estimated to be £14bn a year, however, research suggests that regular

reading is in fact associated with a 35% reduction in the risk of dementia22.

Data shows that individuals with poor literacy are less able to obtain, process

and understand information about healthy living, self-regulate existing medical

conditions, less likely to demonstrate how to take prescriptions correctly, and

are more likely to demonstrate the aforementioned negative health

behaviours23.

Crime

Since the early 1990s, the prison population in Britain has increased by an

average of 3.6% P/A24, currently costing the taxpayer £3.5bn annually25. Low

literacy exacerbates risk factors associated with offending behaviour, and

young people who are not in education, employment or training (all linked to

literacy levels) are 20 times more likely to be convicted. It therefore seems

reasonable to believe that 48% of offenders in custody have a reading age at

or below the expected level of an 11-year-old26.

A

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Employment

The 2008 economic crisis had a profound socioeconomic impact on the UK’s

most vulnerable communities, undermining social mobility in the process. It

also especially affected the young and the unskilled, widening the already

gaping inequality gulf27, with Britain possessing the fifth-highest income

inequality of all OECD countries.28

Those with low literacy are more likely to be receiving working-age benefits,

live in deprived areas, and experience homeless. Furthermore, with a

developing economy there is now a decreased relative demand for unskilled

and unqualified workers, making many individuals with low levels of literacy

obsolete in the new marketplace and creating a proportional productivity

gap.29

Moreover, the UK Commission for Employment and Skills has stated that

economic recovery may in fact be being stifled by skill shortages – closely

linked to literacy30. 40% of London firms said that their employees had poor

literacy skills, reporting that it had a negative impact on their business31,

meanwhile the Prince’s Trust has found that six in ten senior directors say that

there is a shortage of necessary skills, with a further eight in ten believing

that this will limit the growth of the UK economy32.

“The UK has a globalised, competitive economy and the impact of poorer

labour outcomes caused by low literacy has consequences for the global

competitiveness of our economy and our future ability to compete.”33

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Conclusion

Britain is unique in an international context in that its literacy levels are

currently stagnant rather than improving34. The adverse consequences of low

levels of literacy can be felt in many areas of society, which is potentially

creating a large financial burden for the government. Promisingly, however,

research suggests that the economic return of improved literacy would be

greater in Britain than a similar improvement in other countries, and a move to

do so would be welcomed by the public and the media alike35. This

emphasises the great need and opportunity for Britain in particular to address

its literacy problem.

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Recommendations

iteracy is something that affects all demographics, however it begins

in childhood and, as always, prevention is preferable to treatment.

What is required of the government is a considered, holistic approach

to this sensitive and complex issue, to which there are no silver-bullet

solutions.

Research shows that the two largest factors in developing child literacy are

book ownership36 and parental attitudes towards reading37. The above

recommendations address this.

The 2007/08 financial crisis brought about inevitable budget cuts, however,

the cuts to valuable educational projects co-ordinated by various charities and

organizations may have in fact been counter-intuitive to the intended recovery

of the British economy. The extent of the repercussions of abolishing these

projects may have been vast, however, the very nature of these

L

1. Abolish  league  tables  and  cash  incentives  for  schools  and  provide  

teachers  and  headmasters  increased  autonomy  with  regards  to  

literacy  curriculum,  whilst  creating  a  national  online  teaching  

forum  for  dissemination  of  ideas  and  first-­‐hand  teaching  

experiences  

2. Facilitate  closer  and  more  frequent  teacher-­‐parent  

communication  in  order  to  provide  parents  with  updated  

information  and  guidance  with  regards  to  the  progress  of  their  

child  and  to  encourage  participation  in  the  process  

3. Reinstate  previously  removed  funding  for  proven  Booktrust  

projects  such  as  book  donations  to  families  of  young  children,  and  

one-­‐to-­‐one  schemes  in  schools,  possibly  utilising  a  new  student  

work-­‐experience  bank  to  supply  volunteers  

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repercussions indicates that the reverse of these actions would have a

boosting effect to the economy.

We advocate the abolition of league tables and cash incentives for schools as

in principle we do not support incentivization in education and nor do we

believe that it is supported by results38. We believe that the primary purpose

of education should be to improve the wellbeing of children, and that external

motives serve only to distract from the goal. We recommend this, alongside

increased autonomy for schools to tailor their curriculum to better suit the

needs of their pupils as painting students with a broad-brush can be

damaging, and student-specific teaching has proven to be beneficial in

various success stories39.

The government needs to recognise the importance of parents in their child’s

development, not least with regards to their attitudes and habits, and

increased parent-teacher-student integration will ensure that proper consistent

information, advice and support is provided.

The reinvestment in previously funded projects or similar projects is absolutely

essential if the government is to take any credible action on literacy. There are

extensive reports based on their success and their cost-effectiveness404142.

This investment would be invaluable for the future of British society, it’s

economy, and the legacy of this government, and there are no reasons,

financial, ethical, or legal, to not do so.

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Further Research

In order to ensure effective implementation at a ground level, there would

need to be rigorous research as to whether there is support from key

stakeholders such as teachers and parents, and consensus on the efficacy of

these proposals from third-party specialists.

 

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Bibliography  

 

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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             18  National  Literacy  Trust  (2011)  Book  ownership  and  its  relation  to  enjoyment,  attitudes,  behaviour  and  attainment.  Available  at:  http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/assets/0001/1394/Book_ownership_2011.pdf  (Accessed:  05/05/2015).  19  ibid  20  ibid  21  i  National  Literacy  Trust  (2014)  Literacy  Changes  Lives.  Available  at:  http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/assets/0002/3684/Literacy_changes_lives_2014.pdf  (Accessed:  05/05/2015).  22  The  Reading  Agency  (2013)  Reading  facts.  Available  at:  http://readingagency.org.uk/news/reading-­‐facts003/  (Accessed:  05/05/2015).  23  National  Literacy  Trust  (2014)  Literacy  Changes  Lives.  Available  at:  http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/assets/0002/3684/Literacy_changes_lives_2014.pdf  (Accessed:  05/05/2015).  24  ibid  25  The  Howard  League  for  Penal  Reform  (2015)  Latest  prison  population  figures.  Available  at:  http://www.howardleague.org/weekly-­‐prison-­‐watch/  (Accessed:  05/05/2015).  26  National  Literacy  Trust  (2014)  Literacy  Changes  Lives.  Available  at:  http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/assets/0002/3684/Literacy_changes_lives_2014.pdf  (Accessed:  05/05/2015).  27  ibid  28  OECD  (2011)  Inequality.  Available  at:  https://data.oecd.org/inequality/income-­‐inequality.htm  (Accessed:  05/05/2015).  29  National  Literacy  Trust  (2014)  Literacy  Changes  Lives.  Available  at:  http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/assets/0002/3684/Literacy_changes_lives_2014.pdf  (Accessed:  05/05/2015).  30  ibid  31  London  Evening  Standard  (2011)  A  city  of  children  who  cannot  read.  Available  at:  http://www.standard.co.uk/news/a-­‐city-­‐of-­‐children-­‐who-­‐cannot-­‐read-­‐6406797.html  (Accessed:  05/05/2015).  32  National  Literacy  Trust  (2014)  Literacy  Changes  Lives.  Available  at:  http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/assets/0002/3684/Literacy_changes_lives_2014.pdf  (Accessed:  05/05/2015).  33  ibid  34  ibid  35  ibid  36  National  Literacy  Trust  (2011)  Book  ownership  and  its  relation  to  enjoyment,  attitudes,  behaviour  and  attainment.  Available  at:  http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/assets/0001/1394/Book_ownership_2011.pdf  (Accessed:  05/05/2015).  37  National  Union  of  Teachers  (2014)  Reading  4  Pleasure.  Available  at:  https://www.teachers.org.uk/files/active/1/Reading-­‐4-­‐Pleasure-­‐7225.pdf  (Accessed:  05/05/2015).  38  Available  at:  https://www.teachers.org.uk/files/10-­‐Reasons-­‐Why-­‐League-­‐Tables-­‐Should-­‐Go.doc  (Accessed:  05/05/2015).  

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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             39  OFSTED  (2011)  Removing  barriers  to  literacy.  Available  at:  https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/413744/Removing_barriers_to_literacy.doc  (Accessed:  05/05/2015).  40  Department  for  Education  (2011)  Evaluation  of  Every  Child  a  Reader.  Available  at:  https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/182631/DFE-­‐RR114.pdf  (Accessed:  05/05/2015).  41  Department  for  Education  (2014)  Adult  Literacy  and  Numeracy  -­‐  Business,  Innovation  and  Skills  Committee.    Available  at:  http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201415/cmselect/cmbis/557/55713.htm  (Accessed:  05/05/2015).  42  BBC  (2010)  Booktrust  reading  schemes  to  lose  government  funding.  Available  at:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-­‐12058307  (Accessed:  05/05/2015).